Why Pedro Pascal Might Be the Most Honest Actor in Hollywood

Superhero stardom can be a lonely place, where you’re constantly watched and measured on strict corporate timelines. It’s no wonder the celebrities walking amongst us today are often robotic, their words batted back and forth by conglomerate gatekeepers. Hollywood’s media culture has changed so much that it’s rare to find in-depth conversations between journalists and actors these days. What we’re left with is influencer interviews and attention-chasing captions in a vacuum of stardom where people are too afraid to talk openly.

In an industry where the media churn is more toxic than an open wound, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a leading man with more candor than Pedro Pascal.

Pascal is 50 years old and amid his superhero takeover. He’s catapulted from critically-acclaimed performances in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us to his own Marvel banner with The Fantastic Four: First Steps as Dr. Reed Richards. But away from epic battles and promotional rounds with Marvel Studios, Pascal isn’t afraid to speak on issues he’s passionate about.

As one of the most-followed actors on Instagram, the Chilean-American has over 11 million followers who can attest to his less-than-starry tweets. Pascal has shared political opinions and social issues as often as any of his upcoming projects, if not more. He’s called attention to food blockades in Gaza, he wears “Protect The Dolls” shirts in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, and links to organisations such as Doctors Without Borders and The Trevor Project. In many ways, his overall approach to social media is the opposite of many others in his industry.

Speaking to Sky News at a London press event for The Fantastic Four, Pascal shared what it’s like to fearlessly speak in the vacuum he once described.

“There is that, you know. I think it's very easy to get scared, no matter what you sort of talk about. I mean, the one thing that you can say, the one sentence that you can put out, I think is really easy, in today's world and certainly, you know, on these platforms, it's very easy for that to get ripped out of context or get co-opted by people with different agendas,” Pascal told Sky.

It’s a risk Pascal has never been afraid to take. It seems that with every word he speaks, the Chilean-American grows louder in his activism. “There are so many different ways that things can get kind of fractured and have a life of itself. But, I mean, 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,” he said defiantly, moments later.

In many ways, Pascal’s outspoken voice off-screen elevates the role he’s taking on with Marvel Studios in their next fourquel. As Reed Richards, Pascal is tasked with saving the world while raising a child alongside Sue Storm. Aspects of his relationship with his wife, Ludivine, certainly help inform the character and his love for Julianne. But so do his morals and values in life, and it’s his commitment to being authentic that he doesn’t seem to be letting go of any time soon.

Whether it’s the media or other stars trying to silence him, Pascal makes it very clear that he won’t be the next celebrity to ‘tune out.’

Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a new standalone take on Marvel’s famous superhero group, led by Pascal and his team of Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn. A recent press tour and interview with Pascal made it obvious that while his character Reed Richards might be changing the world, Pedro Pascal is doing the same.

Sure, the multi-hyphenate is a huge star in a sea of A-listers. But unlike others in his profession, Pascal hasn’t suddenly reached those heights. He hasn’t been swept up by a younger fanbase overnight nor meticulously curated through social media image-crafting. For as long as his fans have been in his corner, Pascal has stayed grounded in complexity and honesty in a world that has the opposite.

With other stars in the film industry muting themselves or slipping away from social platforms altogether, it’s rare to see such a profound commitment to one’s humanity in addition to their profession.

He’s a superhero, and a fantastic one at that.