Pedro Pascal shared an emotional moment of his life during the Cannes Film Festival, where he presented his latest project, ‘Eddington,’ alongside Emma Stone and Joaquin Phoenix. The actor reflected on his immigrant roots and the refugee experience that shaped his family’s past.
Born in Santiago, Chile, Pedro is the son of José Balmaceda and Verónica Pascal. His paternal grandmother hailed from Mallorca, and his family lineage traces back to Navarra and the Basque Country. On his mother’s side, his heritage was deeply intertwined with Chilean history: Verónica was the niece of Andrés Pascal Allende, a relative of former Chilean president Salvador Allende.
After the 1973 military coup, Pedro’s family sheltered Andrés Pascal Allende, placing them under the harsh scrutiny of Augusto Pinochet’s secret police, the DINA. Years later, Pedro recounted on the Smartless podcast the terrifying moment his father had to flee Chile.
After treating a man’s wounds, José, who is a doctor, was betrayed when that man, under torture, revealed his name to the regime. Pedro explained that their parents were young, under 30, and had to hide for six months before immediately seeking asylum at the Venezuelan embassy.
Six-month-old son Pedro was left in the care of his aunt. Reflecting on their courage, Pedro declared on Saturday Night Live that they were very brave, adding that without them, he wouldn’t have followed his successful path in the United States.
© PedroPascal/InstagramThe family was eventually reunited and sought asylum in Denmark, as Pedro shared at Cannes. After several months in Europe, the Pascals moved to the United States, settling first in San Antonio, Texas, and later in Newport, California. There, José Balmaceda co-founded a fertility clinic with two other doctors.
Those early years were difficult for young Pedro, who struggled with bullying and loneliness at school. He previously told Interview magazine that he felt very alone and would read plays and rent classic filmes from the school video store.
© PedroPascal/InstagramBy the mid-1990s, the family returned to Chile, but Pedro chose to stay in the U.S. to pursue his passion for acting. He enrolled at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and had been living in New York for two years when his parents separated in 2000. Tragically, not long after their split, Verónica Pascal died by suicide.
Reflecting on this painful period, Pedro has said that it was the hardest time of his life, describing it as a “tragedy” that he has yet to “reconcile.” Pedro’s dad talked about how proud he is of her son during a 2021 interview with Las Ultimas Noticias.
© Alexi“Everything that is happening to him he deserves enormously”, José said. “I remember his tough stages, coming out of college when he started auditioning to have problems. That had many ups and downs, it was almost a lot. Everyone told him that they liked the way he acted, but that he was too dark or too blonde for the parts.”
“He deserves this success very much, he was very persistent in working on what he likes. He stood firm until he was given his chance and showed his worth as an actor,” the proud dad said.
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