Pedro Pascalis one of the biggest stars of the 2020s, with many enormous projects in both movies and TV shows cementing him as a standout actor of his generation. Beginning with guest appearances and cameos, and eventually starring in some of the most popular series of the past few years,Pascal is beloved because of his onscreen charisma and undeniable talent.
Though Pascal has made his mark on cinema as well, with hiscritically acclaimed A24 movieMaterialists, and upcoming performance in the new take onThe Fantastic Four: First Steps,he has deep roots in television.Like many celebrities, Pascal got his start playing bit parts in procedurals and network dramas, slowly moving up the ranks of the TV world.
His breakout roles have come to define him as an actor, even though most audiences now associate Pascal withJoel inThe Last of Us. However, Pascal was cast as Joel because he proved with his early work that he has the ability to carry such a popular and dramatic story, and this can be seen in all of his past television roles.
10Eddie
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Pascal’s role inBuffy The Vampire Slayeris small but memorable, and the actor has credited landing the part with helping to keep him in Hollywood and not giving up on his dream. While this is great news on its own, asPascal has become a huge part of many franchises besidesBuffy,it’s also fun to look back on the actor’s early work.
Appearing in theBuffy The Vampire Slayerseason 4 episode “The Freshman,” Pascal plays Eddie, a young student Buffy meets on campus who is tragically killed and made into a vampire. However, before this, he and Buffy share a poignant conversation about how difficult the transition from high school to college is, as the episode revolves around Buffy’s growing pains in this arena.
Though Eddie turns out to be yet another vampire Buffy has to slay, their interactions touch upon the key themes of the episode and season 4 as a whole. The difference between high school and college and the changes Buffy has to make to adapt to her new environment are significant,making Eddie a character whose impact goes beyond his brief time onscreen.
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9Omar Assarian
Lights Out (2011)
For four episodes of the seriesLights Out,Pascal portrayed Omar Assarian, a tough but overly-confident boxer.The show follows a veteran boxer looking to make a comeback, but of course, times have changed, and newcomers like Pascal’s Assarian are everywhere. Though it seems that Light, the lead character, will help Assarian win big, their relationship becomes more complex.
Pascal isn’t the only familiar face that audiences will see inLights Out,as the series is led by a young Holt McCallany. McCallany recently rose to prominence for his starring role in the acclaimed Netflix showMindhunter, which audiences are still hoping will return for an additional season one day. He and Pascal both went on to great things afterLights Outconcluded.
While Pascal’s character, Assarian, is a young upstart looking to make his name in the boxing arena, McCallany plays the title character, Patrick “Lights” Leary, who eventually makes his return to the ring. Seeing Pascal and McCallany work together throughout the show is one of the best parts of the series, especially considering where they would go after it ended.
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8Nathan Landry
The Good Wife (2009–2016)
Throughout his career, Pascal has played everything from DEA agents to fantastical princes, but inThe Good Wife, he’s a formidable attorney.Appearing in the first two seasons of this legal proceduralwith a twist, Pascal strikes an imposing figure in the courtroom, easily making the audience believe he belongs there and making his mark on the acclaimed drama series.
The Good Wifehas proven itself to be a popular franchise, with two spinoff TV shows.
The Good Wifehas proven itself to be a popular franchise, with two spinoff TV shows,The Good FightandElsbeth, coming out of the original show. While Pascal is only inThe Good Wifefor a few episodes, the recurring role was enough to make the characters remember him and recall his legal skills.
Nathan isn’t overly important to the overarching plot ofThe Good Wife,as it’s the protagonist, Alicia, and her climb of the legal ladder that audiences were the most invested in. As part of the state’s attorney’s office, characters like Nathan help flesh out the legal and political world that Alicia returns to, and must fight her way to the top of.
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7Zach Wellison
Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011)
Though it’s been largely forgotten about,the family dramaBrothers & Sisterswas a reasonably successful seriesfrom 2006 to 2011. Like many shows of its era,Brothers & Sistersfeatures many great celebrities who performed guest or recurring appearances before they were famous, including Pascal. His role as Zach Wellison sees him grapple with his character’s past as a Marine.
Pascal is far from the only skilled performer who lends his talents toBrothers & Sisters,as the series also includes the work of Sally Field, Calista Flockhart, and Matthew Rhys. Primarily chronicling the lives of the Walker family,Brothers & Sistersaired for five seasons and touched upon many serious contemporary themes, including PTSD, which came into play in Zach’s storyline.
Zach joins the cast for a brief time in season 5, meeting Justin (Dave Annable), who’s also a veteran. Though Pascal wasn’t on the show for long, even in these smaller roles, he made his mark. In some ways, Zach is a precursor to some of Pascal’s more serious, gruff roles to come, like Joel inThe Last of Us.
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6Juan Badillo
Graceland (2013–2015)
Though he’s primarily featured in just season 1,Pascal is as fun to watch as always in the crime dramaGraceland.Like most actors, Pascal spent a good portion of his early career working in procedurals and in smaller recurring roles in dramas likeGraceland, which followed the investigations of a group of agents from different organizations. Pascal’s Juan Badillo is a member of the FBI.
ThoughGracelandunfolds a lot like other similar procedurals, it’s fun to see what Pascal does with his character.
ThoughGracelandunfolds a lot like other similar procedurals, it’s fun to see what Pascal does with his character within these limitations. Most of the tension inGracelandcomes from the agents going undercover and trying to protect their identities, but Juan has another mission that sees him get into some trouble in the show.
Watching the young Pascal distinguish himself next to the strong cast ofGracelandis reason enough to tune into the short-lived procedural drama. His chemistry with the rest of the ensemble is evident, andJuan’s storyline connects to the larger narrative arcs of the series.Fans of the actor won’t have trouble seeing why audiences loved watching him inGraceland.
5Marcus Pike
The Mentalist (2008–2015)
It’s not hard to imagine whyPascal was cast as a potential love interest inThe Mentalist,who rivaled the main lead of the show in terms of chemistry with their shared love interest. Simon Baker and Robin Tunney ledThe Mentalistas Patrick Jane and Teresa Lisbon, the central will-they-won’t-they couple, but Pascal’s Marcus believably came between them.
The Mentalistis an underrated2000s procedural TV show, as it adhered to the tropes of the genre but featured many great performers like Pascal. Marcus was a good match for Lisbon, and he added fun tension and intrigue to the show, making the audience want to know more about this new man.
Though it’s been argued thatPascal’s character deserved a better ending inThe Mentalist, it was for the best that he left the show, as he went on to star in the most important works of his career. Additionally,there was little chance that Lisbon would ever choose someone other than Janeto be with in the series.
4Javier Peña
Narcos (2015–2017)
Netflix’s short-lived but impactful crime drama TV show,Narcos, might have introduced many viewers to Pascal in the wake of his time onGame of Thrones.Co-leading the cast ofNarcosas the DEA agent Javier Peña,Pascal’s character doesn’t always play by the rules in his quest to bring down the notorious drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar.
Though Peña is far from the most corrupt individual on the show, he’s capable of plenty of violence and morally dubious behavior, as no one inNarcosis above critique. SinceNarcosfictionalizes real historical events, the line can sometimes be blurred between the characters' stories and reality, which strikes an interesting tone in the performances.
In each season ofNarcos, it’s Peña who holds our attention and keeps the audience coming back, even after his conflict with Escobar has wrapped up.Pascal took center stage in season 3,coming into his own on the series and proving that he could anchor the drama without the help of the series' original protagonists and antagonists.
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3Din Djarin AKA The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian (2019–Present) & The Book Of Boba Fett (2021)
Though we don’t get to see Pascal’s face that much throughoutThe Mandalorian, his impact is enormous, and the actor does a lot with just his body language.The Mandalorianis considered one of the strongestStar WarsTV shows that Disney+ has put out. Pascal’s character,Din Djarin, is also featured inThe Book of Boba Fett,which didn’t earn as much acclaim.
However, in both cases, Din is a standout character, as his harsh demeanor and rough way of living are juxtaposed by his surprisingly tender actions throughout the story. Expectations are always high for new additions to the lore and world-building of a franchise likeStar Wars, butThe Mandalorianlives up to the best parts of the universe.
Pascal does a lot with his character inThe Mandalorian, who is a complex and often morally gray individual. However, this is what makes him so compelling to watch, as he grapples with the strange new world order after the fall of the empire. Though Pascal is limited in his performance due to the character design, he never fails to give his all to Din.
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2Joel Miller
The Last Of Us (2023–Present)
One of the best video game adaptations of the past few years,The Last of Usworks because of Pascal’s leading role as Joel. Though the perspective shifts in the show’s second season, we’re taken on an adventure with Joel throughout season 1 thatmakes the audience empathize with and love him, even when he’s wrong.
Pascal’s performance as Joel is the best part of the show.
Regardless of howThe Last of Usseason 2 was received, as it marked a major shift in the story, there’s little question that Pascal’s performance as Joel is the best part of the show.Losing Joel in season 2 was difficult for season 2 to come back from because of how important he is to the story, and how good Pascal is at anchoring the narrative.
While we won’t see Pascal again in season 3, he will continue to haunt Ellie and the other characters in the series, as his actions were the precipitating incident for everything that’s followed since the season 1 finale.There’s been a hole inThe Last of Ussince Pascal departed,but that doesn’t take away from his lasting impact on the post-apocalyptic series.
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1Oberyn Martell
Game Of Thrones (2011–2019)
When watching a show likeGame of Thrones, it’s important never to get too comfortable when falling in love with a character, as they’re easily and suddenly killed off. WhenPascal joined the cast of the fantasy series as Oberyn Martell,it catapulted the actor to a new era of fame, as he won the hearts of everyone watching, only to break them not long after that.
Fans of the book series,A Song of Ice and Fire, were well aware of the fate that would befall Oberyn as soon as he was introduced in season 4. However, no one could have predicted the splash that Pascal would make bringing the character to life.He became a fan-favorite characteralmost instantly.
Though Oberyn isn’t onGame of Thronesfor long, he stands out because he’s so charismatic, interesting, and unlike the stuffy, repressed characters that populate the story’s world. His relationship with Tyrion and the duel with Gregor Clegane cement him as a key player in the world, and allowPedro Pascalto explore the many sides of the complex character.
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
