Pedro Pascal Uses His Platform for More Than Promotion

There’s an unspoken but widely accepted acknowledgement from anyone who consumes celebrity news that most A-listers in 2023 don’t seem like “real people.” The corporate gatekeeping of Hollywood’s PR machines means that nearly every major star is either eerily inaccessible or hyperaware that they’re crafting a persona for public consumption. They might even be somewhere in the middle: deep into stardom, but with a grip on the truth of who they are. You won’t know for sure, of course, since both career trajectories are mutually exclusive with authenticity.

Pedro Pascal, however, has no such qualms. At 50, he is less like a marketing package and more like a genuine human being. Through a slew of critically-acclaimed roles that take him from The Mandalorian to The Last of Us and, of course, Marvel’s latest The Fantastic Four: First Steps, the actor hasn’t hesitated to use his public voice for reasons beyond self-promotion. He’s an advocate for causes greater than himself, and just as importantly, he’s unafraid to be genuine.

How he maintains this level of integrity under the bright lights of Hollywood is a mystery, but Pascal does make an effort to open up about it. During a sit-down with Sky News in London ahead of The Fantastic Four press tour, the Chilean-American actor opens up about where he stands on speaking up in an industry known for silencing individuals who don’t follow the script.

“I think it’s very easy to get scared, no matter what you sort of talk about, and whatnot,” Pascal tells Sky News.

The actor is speaking from experience, and, as of late, the weathered reporter has seen an influx of anxiety from sources concerned about being quoted out of context or editing backlash. “There are so many different ways that things can get kind of fractured and have a life of itself,” he added.

Pascal isn’t wrong. A hastily thrown-together TikTok repackage of one sentence, a glaring mistranslation, or a single piece of viral audio can cloud someone’s entire reputation with lightning speed. But Pascal made it clear that he’d never allow the mere threat of scandal to keep him quiet.

“There’s one thing that you can say and no matter what your intention behind it, it is lost in all of these different headlines, I suppose—but I’ll never shut up.”

Pedro Pascal & Reed Richards: Taking on the World, Superhero Style

Where Pascal will go with that forthright attitude is anyone’s guess, but he is currently about to embark on another high-profile foray with his turn as Dr. Reed Richards in Marvel’s new The Fantastic Four: First Steps. A trained scientist who dabbles in time-travel to combat threats to humankind while anticipating the birth of his first child with his wife, Sue Storm, Pascal makes for an interesting comparison to his on-screen alter-ego.

Shot by WandaVision helmer Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four is a standalone reboot of the beloved superhero team that has languished under the Marvel banner for decades. Alongside Pascal, the film casts Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm.

Pascal and The Fantastic Four aside, his legacy as one of Hollywood’s most outspoken celebrities continues with no end in sight. It isn’t because he’s been skyrocketed to virality, or that he’s deeply woven into the digital thread of TikTok culture. Pascal is a methodical up-and-comer, and he’s been rising to fame for the better part of two decades. It is that work and dedication that grounds him now, as he is less reliant on fan service and public adoration to maintain.

In an industry where too many luminaries have grown to silence rather than risk, it might just be Pedro Pascal’s most superpower of all.