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His role in The Last Of Us saw him become a household name in his 40s, despite a years-long career.
The Chilean-American actor’s big break came in 2014 when he landed a role in Games Of Thrones.
Most recently he has been the focus of the big screen with appearances in the huge Gladiator sequel featuring Paul Mescal, as well as the summer’s biggest blockbuster – The Fantastic Four.
His fashion sense has also turned heads on the red carpet, thanks to his choice of tight-fitting vests and thigh-high boots.
But the actor looked unrecognisable in an array of snaps from before his Hollywood fame.
Posing with best friend Sarah Paulson, the star kept it casual in a bomber jacket and untucked pink shirt for a Broadway premiere in 2005 – but can YOU guess who it is?
It’s none other than Hollywood heartthrob and all-round icon Pedro Pascal.
Most recently Pedro has a blockbuster on his hands with the release of his new superhero film.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps launched with a bigger-than-expected opening weekend, raking in an estimated $118 million domestically and another $100 million overseas, for a global debut of around $220 million, according to Comscore.
The 50-year-old Mandalorian star is among the Marvel Studios film’s iconic quartet, and the new film led at the domestic box office for the past two weeks.
Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, the film stars Pedro, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the latest version of Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and the Thing.
But before his mega fame, Pedro had to claw his way past his own very harrowing real-world demons in order to achieve a lasting career.
Pedro, who is originally from Santiago, Chile, has faced an incredibly rocky road on his path to stardom, both professionally and personally.
He has previously detailed how his parents were forced into hiding when he was just four months old to evade capture during then-dictator Pinochet’s crackdown against opposition.
Pedro’s world was rocked once again when his father became involved in a fertility scandal that saw him charged with mail fraud and income tax evasion – before fleeing the country ahead of the trial with his family in tow.
And the star would face more tragedy when his mother, who he called ‘the love of his life,’ tragically took her own life.
Nonetheless, Pedro continued working away at his career and would eventually get a big break in 2014 that put him on a whirlwind trajectory.
He was born Jose Pedro Balmaceda Pascal in Santiago, Chile, on April 2, 1975, to a child psychologist named Veronica Pascal and a fertility doctor Jose Balmaceda.
When he was just four months old his parents were forced to leave him and his sister with their aunt, so they could avoid capture during then-dictator Pinochet’s crackdown against his opposition.
Six months later, the couple were able to climb the walls of the Venezuelan embassy and claim asylum.
The family were able to relocate to Denmark before arriving in the United States, where they first lived in San Antonio, Texas.
But they would later move again to Orange County, California, when he was 11.
From a young age, the star fell in love with movies, since he told Variety that his parents would often take him and his siblings to the cinema to ‘soak up as much American culture as possible.’
He initially dreamed of being a competitive swimmer, participating in state championships until the age of 11, but later stopped to instead focus on strengthening his skills as an actor.
After finishing high school, he studied acting at University’s Tisch School of the Arts in New York City, where he graduated from in 1997.
While he was in college, his father became involved in a fertility scandal that saw him charged with mail fraud and income tax evasion.
In the early years of his career, Pedro landed a slew of small guest appearances in shows like The Good Wife, Homeland, The Mentalist, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: SVU, and Graceland.
But despite landing a series of bit-parts, his big break came in 2014, after he was cast as Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of Game of Thrones.
Following his success in Game of Thrones, Pedro was met with a flurry of offers.
He went on to star in the Netflix show Narcos, the 2015 movie Bloodsucking Bastards, the spy comedy Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the monster movie The Great Wall, and The Equalizer 2 (opposite Denzel Washington).
