After beginning his career as a promising Chilean-American actor guest-starring on different TV shows, Pedro Pascal has managed to make a name for himself in a rapidly changing industry. He initially gained global recognition for his role as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones and as Javier Peña in a Netflix biographic series Narcos. Of course, the role that has perhaps skyrocketed his career to newer heights is the titular character in The Mandalorian, whose season 3 is set to premiere later this year.
Indeed, 2023 looks to be an exciting year for Pascal. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, he will be seen in Pedro Almodóvar’s queer Western Strange Way of Life. More immediately — and arguably more excitedly — fans can soon see Pascal return to HBO in The Last of Us. Already being heralded as the best video game adaptation ever (via BBC), this zombie epic further cements the actor’s place in the action genre. As we await the HBO series’ premiere episode, let’s reminisce the best action roles Pascal has ever played in movies and TV shows.
8 Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
Marv Films
Although Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a disappointing sequel for some, Pascal was predicted to steal the spotlight — and he did. The spy action-comedy film directed by Matthew Vaughn introduces Pascal as Jack Daniels a.k.a. Agent Whiskey. He gets teamed up with his British counterparts to defeat Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore) and her drug cartel. The whole cast excels in their performances and delivering the humor just the right way. Moreover, you can count on Pascal taking a morally gray character — one who’s never truly the bad guy, simply just misunderstood — and portraying it flawlessly. It’s easy to get obsessed with this minor character, only to be completely devastated when he dies a gruesome death at the end. Only Pascal is capable of capturing your attention so strongly in such a short span of time.
7 The Equalizer 2 (2018)
Columbia Pictures
While we’re on the subject of morally gray character, we can’t not mention Pascal’s performance of Dave York. With Denzel Washington in the lead role, The Equalizer 2 stands as the second movie in the vigilante action franchise. As a retired U.S. Marine and former DIA officer, Robert McCall sets out on a path of revenge after his friend and colleague gets murdered. As he tries figuring out who’s behind the murders, he is shocked to learn that his life-time friend Dave is responsible. Instead of introducing a one-dimensional villain, Pascal’s character feels authentic.Thanks to his performance, instead of reading York as fatally flawed, we understand he’s trying to find a way to support his family with the cards he’s been dealt with after feeling used and discarded by the government.
6 Triple Frontier (2019)
Netflix
Put Pedro Pascal and Oscar Isaac in a movie together, and it instantly becomes a highly entertaining spectacle. Bromance is, overall, something visibly highlighted in the action-adventure film that is Triple Frontier. The story follows former U.S. Army Delta Force — joining Pascal and Isaac are Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, and Garrett Hedlund — as they reunite to pull off a grand heist of a South American crime lord. One of Pascal’s (and Isaac’s) strongest assets is completely redefining a genre that’s been historically made for men. Characters such as Francisco “Catfish” Morales (Pascal) and Santiago “Pope” Garcia (Isaac) and their charistmatic and attention-drawing performances completely break the macho portrayals of male characters that we expect to see in action movies like Triple Frontier.
5 Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Warner Bros.
If you’re still not convinced that Pascal can do it all, watch him play a character modeled on Bernie Madoff and Donald Trump. Wonder Woman 1984 is the follow-up superhero DC film of the 2017 spectacle and the ninth film in the (formerly) DC Extended Universe. With Gal Gadot as Diana Prince in the main role, the sequel is set in 1984 during the Cold War and focuses on Diana and her past lover Steve as they face off against Maxwell Lord (Pascal) and Cheetah (Kristen Wiig). Maxwell is a struggling yet charismatic businessman, with potential to be dangerous and scary. The storyline uses its underlying metaphor of truth versus deception, and Pascal’s character is at the heart of it. He’s capable of inducing skin-crawling feelings, while maintaining enough humanity and love for one person. He was definitely the right casting choice.
4 The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Lionsgate
Pascal’s no stranger to action-comedies as well. In August 2020, he entered negotiations to star in the Nicolas Cage film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. While Cage plays a fictionalized version of himself — a struggling actor, more precisely — Pascal plays a character called Javi Gutierrez, a billionaire who is also Cage’s super-fan. To revive the actor’s career, Javi proposes an idea for a movie the two would start in together. He’d pay for all the expenses, of course. What’s amazing to point out is that Pascal has looked up to Cage as an actor his whole life. It must’ve been a full-circle moment to star alongside him and offer a scene-stealing performance that would match his idol. Although the movie performed poorly at the box office, the chemistry between Cage and Pascal was highly praised.
3 Game of Thrones (2014)
HBO
Pascal’s short-lived turn as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones will go down as one of the most iconic characters and performances in the franchise’s history. Especially when you consider his unforgettably gruesome death scene. While Game of Thrones is more drama than action, Pascal’s final scene as Oberyn — facing off against The Mountain in trial by combat — demonstrated the actor’s capability with stunt work and fight choreography, arguably setting the stage for the roles that followed.
2 The Mandalorian
Disney+
The Mandalorian saw Pascal venture into the galaxy far, far away. Similarly to The Last of Us, Pascal’s Din Djarin finds himself accidentally in the care of a child — the impossibly cute Grogu — and must use his skills as a bounty hunter to ensure his safety. The Mandalorian is notable for not only successfully blending action, drama, and nostalgia, but also spearheading Star Wars’ success on the small screen on Disney+, thereby introducing newer fans to the long-standing franchise.
1 Narcos (2015-17)
Last but not least, we have to mention the role that has given him the global recognition and love he has now. From 2015 to 2017, Pascal starred as Javier Peña in the American-Colombian crime drama television series Narcos. He plays a DEA agent, based on a real person, who was given the task of bringing down the Colombian narco-terrorist and drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. In the first two seasons, Pascal wasn’t offered the spotlight he truly deserved, but after becoming the main protagonist in the (final) third season, he was finally given a chance to showcase his abilities. Critics praised him left and right. Collider wrote, “Pascal carries the series admirably, expanding the scope of his character through Peña’s relationship with his father.” If you still can’t get to the gist of Pascal’s worldwide likability, we suggest you start with Narcos.
