Tragic life of The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal — political violence, family fleeing and mom's death

Pedro Pascal, the star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, has had a tumultuous rise to fame, marked by personal tragedies and political upheaval.

Losing his mother at an early age and growing up amid the political chaos of Chile, Pedro's early life was fraught with challenges. Born on April 2, 1975, in Santiago, he was nurtured by his mother, child psychologist Verónica Pascal Ureta, and his father, fertility doctor José Balmaceda Riera.

Describing his childhood as "pretty lonely," Pedro found solace in acting, immersing himself in plays and classic literature. His world was further shaken when his family provided sanctuary to a wounded priest, leading to a harrowing escape from political violence in Chile.

They sought asylum first in Denmark and then in the United States, where Pedro has primarily resided since. In an interview with The Sun, the now 50-year-old actor shared, "I didn't fit in and it was pretty lonely. The way that I was occupying my time, I started reading plays and renting the classics."

He also recounted the terrifying ordeal his family endured, "There was a priest who had been shot in the leg who was brought to my mom and dad's house. My father took him in, hid him for a few days and patched up his leg. I was a baby, my sister was just three and she says she has a vague memory of being really angry that our parents had put strangers' s**t in her bedroom, including guns.

"The priest was taken into custody and tortured. He gave names and they went looking for my father at the hospital he worked at. By chance it got to him that they were downstairs, asking where to find Dr Balmaceda. My father sneaks out the back and gets my mom, his sister gets my sister and me. Their only option is to go into hiding, which they do for about six months, and they end up sneaking into the Venezuelan embassy and sought asylum."

He initially pursued an acting career at the Orange County School of the Arts, graduating in 1993, before moving on to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned his degree in 1997.

Pascal's early days in Hollywood were marked by rejection, taking on minor roles while trying to establish himself. He worked as a waiter, admitting he was fired "often, upwards of, I don't know, maybe close to 10 times."

The actor appeared in several TV series, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, NYPD Blue, The Good Wife, Nurse Jackie, and Homeland. Around the same time, the Narcos star revealed that his mother had tragically taken her own life, despite having supported his career.

Honoring her memory, he once shared, "She was always incredibly supportive, never a stage mom. I always felt like she knew something that I didn't. None of my success would be real if it weren't for her."

Fans of Pedro have affectionately dubbed him "The Daddy" due to his roles as a nurturing father figure in films like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. Embracing the light-hearted nickname, he shared some insights with The Hollywood Reporter, "Yeah, I am having fun with it," adding that "[The daddy thing] seems a little role-related. There was a period where the Mandalorian is very daddy to baby Grogu, and Joel is very daddy to Ellie. These are daddy parts. That's what it is."

Earlier this year, whispers of romance buzzed when Pedro was spotted at a friendly three-hour dinner with 'Friends' alum Jennifer Aniston - six years his senior - fueling speculation. Previously, Pedro's name has been romantically linked with celebrities including his Game of Thrones co-star Lena Headey and actress Robin Tunney.

Adding fuel to the fire, Pedro and Jen were seen deeply engrossed in conversation as they exited the Tower Bar at Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood. Though they arrived separately around 8pm, their departures around 11.30pm were singular.

Their meetup followed a playful exchange at the Critics Choice Awards red carpet, where Pedro hinted at a possible guest spot on Aniston's acclaimed series The Morning Show. In a cheeky back-and-forth, he inquired about potential romantic plotlines, to which Jennifer quipped, "All of us."

Taking it further, Pedro humorously declared, "I sleep with everyone on the show," before concluding, "I'm in. All right, I'll be waiting to hear from my agents." During a whirlwind of rumors, Jennifer sweetly acknowledged Pedro's big 50th birthday milestone. Turning to her Instagram Stories recently, the star highlighted a New Yorker cartoon that gave a nod to Pedro.

Seemingly eager to flaunt her connection with the Narcos lead, she accompanied the comic with an adoring comment. The humorous sketch depicted a therapist reassuring a patient, "It's not strange at all lately, a lot of people are reporting that their faith in humanity is riding entirely on whether or not Pedro Pascal is as nice as he seems."

Jennifer chimed in with her personal endorsement, writing, "Can confirm as nice as he seems." She went on to sprinkle some birthday cheer, saying, "Happy birthday PP! ," topped off with a pair of celebratory birthday-themed emojis.

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