Pedro Pascal attends the premiere of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in Los Angeles. (Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic via Getty Images)He can play a romantic lead. He can steal scenes in prestige dramas. He can suit up for Marvel. And he can do it all in a way that makes women - and men - swoon. In the heat of summer blockbuster season, you can't miss Pedro Pascal at your movie theater."I'm everywherrrrrrrrrrrrrre 👥👥👥👥👥" Pascal playfully captioned a June Instagram post about one of his latest films, Eddington. And he's right.
Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. (Marvel/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection)Right now, he's starring in three of the summer's most talked-about movies: Materialists, Eddington and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. His reign isn't limited to the big screen. In addition to dominating multiplexes, he nabbed another Emmy nomination for his role in The Last of Us and has continued to stir conversation about his fashion sense, viral interview responses and general sense of whimsy.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt's a pivotal time for Pascal - a 50-year-old actor finally having the breakout moment he worked for his whole life, generating a rabid fan army that's passionate about his upbeat and empathetic persona.
But being everywhere has its price.
Pascal truly broke out in January 2023 when he starred as the morally complex post-apocalyptic father figure Joel in The Last of Us, which led to a Saturday Night Live hosting gig, which earned him an Emmy nomination and a key role in Gladiator II. As his stardom was reaching inferno levels ahead of the 2024 awards season, he got hurt tackling Paul Mescal while filming Gladiator II. Then, he got hurt again after falling down the stairs.
Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II. (Aidan Monaghan/Paramount Pictures/Courtesy of Everett Collection)Being in his late 40s, he couldn't recover as quickly as younger actors who were also breaking out as action heroes. Jason Walsh, Pascal's trainer who has also been his friend since 2014, tells Yahoo he saw Pascal go through "a downward spiral."AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"When he came to me, he was like, 'I'm broken.' He was very vulnerable psychologically," he said. Pascal, no stranger to the long road to stardom, began an excruciating journey to recovery.
Walsh said he and the actor spent a full year just working on "restabilizing" his body and helping him overcome the fear of being hurt again. Eventually, through setting small goals and working closely together, Pascal attained the strength needed to become a superhero and do most of his own stunts."It's one of my favorite stories, and it happened to a good friend ... I'm really proud of him because these stories don't get told, because in the world of fitness, it's all about aesthetics," Walsh says. "He looks f***ing great, but this is his version of strength and resiliency. He's able to do all these things." Yahoo reached out to Pascal's team for comment, but he wasn't able to respond due to his schedule.
Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal in Materialists. (Atsushi Nishijima/A24/Courtesy of Everett Collection)Walsh can't say enough kind things about Pascal, whom he called "a beautiful person and so courageous" and "super intelligent to the point where it's intimidating, in a way, but he doesn't rub your face in it." Pascal's ability to, despite injury, challenge the masculinity norms for middle-aged men in Hollywood stands out to Walsh.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"There's a level of empathy, compassion and love [that is among the] many qualities you don't see in men anymore," Walsh says.
What his friends love about him is also what's won him such a supportive fanbase. That's part of the reason his ascension to superstar happened so swiftly. Once people knew about him, they couldn't get enough. He's just different.'Vulnerability is a strength'It's no accident that Pascal is ascending at a time when "toxic masculinity and nationalism" are converging, Deepak Sharma, a culture expert and professor at Case Western Reserve University who uses they/them pronouns, tells Yahoo."Pedro offers a kind of masculinity that isn't binary, and people love it," Sharma explains. "He presents himself in a way where you can't really pinpoint [his sexuality] ... and you see him showing a vulnerable sensibility in his acting and daily life." Masculinity norms in the Latino community can be even stricter than those in the general population. Pascal knows this firsthand - as the child of Chilean refugees, he has defied stereotypical machismo and advocated for gender equality long before the spotlight was shining brightly on him.
Pedro Pascal at the 2023 Met Gala. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)Longtime fan Isabelle Deveaux, a 26-year-old who works in the film industry, first became obsessed with Pascal when he appeared in the first season of an FBI drama called Grace