Pedro Pascal is the talk of the town. There’s a plethora of new fans of the actor out there given the success of HBO’s The Last of Us, and I don’t blame them. I’ve been here for a while, so I know of the appeal of Pascal as a performer. But if you are new to the game, you might be wondering which of Pascal’s performances you should watch first.
And there is a lot to dive into! I would like to plug my podcast Podro Pascal here, where we talk about Pedro Pascal and his filmography, so you can watch these properties with me and my co-host Catrina Dennis as your guide. But one of the great things about Pascal’s work is that it always keeps you on your toes.
One of the movies not listed here (because he’s not in it for that long) is If Beale Street Could Talk, a movie I highly recommend in general. But Pascal is technically in it briefly, and if you want a beautiful and moving movie to watch that does also happen to have a quick look at Pedro Pascal, I’d say watch If Beale Street Could Talk. Also not listed here are his smaller roles in things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but again, I suggest you watch all of them.
We’re here to just talk about his 10 best movie and television performances, and they’re all so good it was hard to choose! These are ranked, however I think you should watch them all. But let’s talk about where you should start if you’re just now getting into the Pedro Pascal.
15. The Bubble
Is this a good movie? I had fun! I think it was a little too long but that it was genuinely fun to watch as a whole but I do get that a lot of Pascal’s fans might not be as aware of Apatow’s work. Trust me, I know they’re not I heard someone in line once say “I’ve been a fan of his forever, I remember waiting to watch The Bubble.” A movie based on how movies were filmed during COVID and poking fun at the Jurassic Park franchise, it’s sort of weird and out there and isn’t for everyone.
Pedro Pascal does play a drugged out movie star that is probably way too good for the franchise but is too lost in his addiction to get out of is and has some of the weirder moments in the movie and 10/10 for Dieter Bravo alone.
14. Graceland
Now, I am someone who watched Graceland when it came out but I watched it because of Aaron Tveit. Once a Broadway girl, always a Broadway girl. I knew who Pedro Pascal was, obviously, but not to the level that I do now. The show itself is okay. It’s about a young agent moves into a house filled with agents from all different organizations and he often has to go and check in with Pascal’s character. It’s fine, it’s hot people all at a beach house but also being part of the FBI or the DEA or whatever crime organization they are a part of.
The show lasted for three seasons and Pascal played Juan Badillo. I’m not going to tell you much about his character but know that it is part of Pascal’s filmography that fans hate (meaning that he plays a lot of characters that have a certain fate…)
13. Saturday Night Live
Hey! Pedro Pascal’s episode of Saturday Night Live was really good! I would know, I was there! The reason this is on here is because sometimes, you just want to laugh and there isn’t really a bad sketch on his episode. Banger after banger, meme after meme, and all sketches we can easily quote filled the night because he was just that good as host for the show with musical guest Coldplay.
You might not be a fan of Saturday Night Live on your own but at least watch his episode, you’ll be so proud of him!
12. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Yes, it’s one episode of a television series but not only does Pedro Pascal have a lot of these go round up, he also doesn’t have a lot of movies or television shows to unpack so we’re counting it. Even so, this is a really good episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and it’s just genuinely funny to watch this episode now and realize that Pedro Pascal was on this show.
For me, I came to Buffy really late in life. Like I am still watching it for the first time so I definitely knew who Pascal was by the time I got to this episode but I had somehow not had his appearance spoiled so I gasped and pointed like Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood when he showed up on scream as Eddie!
11. We Can Be Heroes
A cute movie to watch with your family, We Can Be Heroes comes from the universe of Shark Boy and Lava Girl and the mind of director Robert Rodriguez. His brilliant direction highlights the importance of letting kids have their own heroes and Pascal plays Marcus Moreno, a dad just trying to keep his daughter safe in the midst of leading a team of superheroes around. Quickly, the team realizes that the real heroes are the next generation.
There is an entire genre of “Pedro Pascal as a good dad” in his filmography and this movie is part of that but it also includes little baby Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) and is the reunion of Pascal and his Narcos co-star Boyd Holbrook!
10. Bloodsucking Bastards
When you hear “comedy from 2015,” the chances of it being offensive are high. So, I was surprised when Bloodsucking Bastards holds up despite being a very “dude humor” kind of movie. I liked it a lot and it continues the world of Pedro Pascal as a vampire.
The basis for the movie is just that vampires take over running an office so that they can drain the employees of their blood and keep the company afloat since no one sleeps. It’s wild, weird, and generally very funny.
9. Wonder Woman 1984
Is this movie good? No. Are there a lot of problems with it that could have easily been fixed? Yes. Is Pedro Pascal one of those problems? Absolutely not. His take on Maxwell Lord is, in my opinion, one of the things that really does work with Wonder Woman 1984, and I like the changes that they made to the character.
The sequel to Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, 1984 was met with a harsh critical response, but everyone seemed to be in agreement that Pascal and his comedic timing worked incredibly well with the film, so watch for what has now become a meme.
8. Triple Frontier
I am the number one fan of Frankie Morales, so of course I’m going to suggest that you watch Triple Frontier. The J.C. Chandor movie featured Pascal as Frankie “Catfish” Morales, who agrees to go on a mission with his old army friends, and it results in just a lot of chaos for everyone involved. Frankie is just trying to make money for his new kid, and I love him.
The movie overall is a fine action movie with absolutely hilarious one-liners like Garrett Hedlund saying “This is my f**k you money,” but I just have a fun time watching it.
7. Prospect
Pedro Pascal has done fantasy (Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian), and Prospect is his foray into science fiction. The movie has Pascal as Ezra, harvesting eggs on a planet when he runs into Yellowjackets’ Sophie Thatcher as Cee. The two form an unlikely pair and, when you think about it, this was the first time we got to see Pedro Pascal adopting a child.
He takes care of Cee and she takes care of Ezra, and the movie as a whole is trippy and more sci-fi than anything he’s done before (or since for that matter), but it is well worth the watch.
6. Kingsman: The Golden Circle
I’ve said it before, but I do, technically, owe this movie my job. It is the reason that I work at The Mary Sue, so if I didn’t already have a soft spot for it, I would just on principle. But it does include Pedro Pascal hanging out with Jeff Bridges, so really a gift for me all around.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is the sequel to A Secret Service and crafts the world of The Statesmen. Pascal plays Whiskey and, well, there’s a viral TikTok fancam that shows everyone just how much we’re all attracted to the character, even if he’s not a great guy. I highly suggest it, but also, I love these movies so!
5. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
There are some movies in this world that make me stop and think to myself “was this made for just me?” and this is one of those movies. I grew up loving Nic Cage movies, and I love Pedro Pascal, so whoever thought to throw these two in a movie together was thinking of me and my best interests, and I am grateful to them.
The movie takes us into eccentric Cage superfan/billionaire Javi’s (Pascal) birthday, to which he invites none other than Nick Cage (Cage). He wants his favorite actor to join him in his celebration, and throughout their time together, they celebrate the work of Cage as well as falling into a Nic(k) Cage movie of their own. It’s better if you know the Cage references littered throughout the movie, but is just genuinely fun!
4. Game of Thrones
Oberyn Martell was my first venture into Pedro Pascal fandom (despite having seen him in shows like Graceland beforehand), and what a way to fall in love with Pascal. On Game of Thrones, Pascal came into the role of Oberyn in season 4 and captivated us all. He was from Dorne, open with his sexuality, and just genuinely so captivating to watch. And very hot. We all think Oberyn is very hot, right?
The character, much like the rest of my favorites on Game of Thrones, was a tragic one, but it still gave us some of the best episodes of the series, and Oberyn remains a favorite among fans for a reason.
3. Narcos
Oh how I love fictional Javier Peña. Pascal has become known for his work as a dad just trying to keep his adoptive kid safe. But before he was everyone’s father figure, he was Javi. Based on the actual DEA agent who helped to take down Pablo Escobar, Narcos’s Javier Peña is a man struggling with the job he’s found himself in and trying to keep those around him safe.
He’s complicated and the show itself is a fascinating watch. If you are like me and don’t speak Spanish, you’ll need to watch it when you can dedicate your time to it because the Spanish is subtitled for those of us plebeians who don’t understand. The show, as a whole, is great and one of the best performances from Pascal.
2. The Mandalorian
A lot of people came to the Pascal fandom by way of Din Djarin. The Mandalorian showed us all that you too could be attracted to Pedro Pascal while rarely seeing his face. The role forces Pascal into more of a voice acting position, with Brendan Wayne and Lateef Crowder bringing Din Djarin to life in the suit more often than not.
But Pascal is the face of Din Djarin when he does take the helmet off, and both Wayne and Crowder have mastered the art of Pascal’s walk. (Don’t ask me why I instantly recognized it.) And the show is just perfection, so if you want to fall in love with dad Pedro Pascal in space, it’s the way to go.
1. The Last of Us
If you didn’t come here because of The Last of Us, go watch it. It’s so incredibly good and a show that Pascal shines in. Pascal is Joel Miller, a man trying to make it through a world where Cordyceps fungus has mutated and can now take over human brain function. When he’s tasked with getting Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) to the a group of people who can use her immunity to create a cure for the Cordyceps outbreak, they’re forced to make their way across the country with each other for help.
It’s a great adaptation of the game and has Pascal as a gruff reluctant dad. 10 out of 10!
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What’s your favorite Pedro Pascal role? Let us know in the comments below!
(featured image: Lucasfilm)
Published: Sep 15, 2023 03:18 pm