Pedro Pascal may be known as a “Zaddy” for roles in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, but his role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the day literally saved his life. One of Pascal’s earliest roles came in 1999 when he guest starred in a single episode of the WB supernatural drama during Season 4. Despite appearing in only one episode, which was the Season 4 premiere, via Us Weekly, Pascal tells Entertainment Tonight that the role financially saved him when he was on the brink of homelessness.
“My entry-level lasted about 15 years,” Pascal shared. “We’re talking about being able to see a doctor, getting sick, having surgery, paying my rent. I had less than $7 in my bank account, and a residual from Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed up and saved the day and literally is the reason I was able to stay in [Hollywood] and not give up.”
The SAG winner was in three episodes of MTV’s Undressed in 1999 as well, but it sounds like Buffy is what really saved him. It’s incredible what a residual check will do, and it just shows that a lot of actors are really only able to live off of residual checks. It’s one of the reasons for the SAG-AFTRA strike last year. Now, Pedro Pascal is arguably one of the biggest names in the industry, and after all the hard work he’s put in over the years, it was well worth it.
While Pascal was struggling 25 years ago, things have truly changed. He is preparing for the second season of HBO hit The Last of Us and has already had three movies release this year. According to his IMDb, he has a whopping seven upcoming projects, including the highly-anticipated Gladiator 2. He was previously in talks to play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in the new Fantastic Four, with Marvel confirming the news on Valentine’s Day.
It’s incredible how close to homelessness Pedro Pascal was, and one little check basically saved his life. Now, he is at such a high point in his career. It just goes to show that hard work definitely pays off. It’s always exciting to see how far an actor has come in their career, and Pascal is no exception. His career is continuing to grow, and he is only going up.