Quote of the day by Pedro Pascal: 'I died so many deaths. I was constantly readjusting what it meant to...', Game of Thrones actor reflects on failure, patience and never giving up

Pedro Pascal is the face of some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises, from The Last of Us and The Mandalorian to blockbuster films. But long before audiences knew him as Joel Miller or Oberyn Martell, Pascal spent years wondering whether his dream of becoming an actor was slipping away. In fact, he once believed that if his big break did not arrive by 29, his career might effectively be over.

‘Quote of the day by Pedro Pascal: I died so many deaths’

Speaking to Esquire in 2023, Pascal reflected on the uncertainty that followed him during his early years as a struggling actor in New York. “I died so many deaths,” he told the magazine, explaining that he had imagined major exposure would need to come by the time he was 29. When that didn't happen, he found himself “constantly readjusting” what committing his life to acting actually meant.

Success had certainly not arrived overnight. The Los Angeles Times reported that Pascal spent years waiting tables while piecing together an acting career through occasional television appearances. At 26, he lived in a cheap one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn, and his résumé gradually grew through appearances in shows including Law & Order, The Good Wife, and Brothers & Sisters.

Sarah Paulson helped Pedro Pascal through the toughest days

Money was sometimes so tight that Pedro's longtime friend, actress Sarah Paulson, helped him afford food. “There were times when I would give him my per diem from a job I was working on,” Paulson told Esquire. She explained that the money helped Pascal feed himself while he continued chasing acting work. Even with years of rejection behind him, Pascal kept going. His eventual breakthrough came in an unexpectedly low-budget fashion. According to The Guardian, Pascal learnt that Game of Thrones was casting Oberyn Martell while helping a younger actor prepare an audition. Pascal recorded his own audition and sent it to Paulson, who helped get it in front of people connected to the series.

Game of Thrones changed everything for Pedro Pascal

Pascal joined Game of Thrones in its fourth season in 2014 as Oberyn Martell, the charismatic and fearless Prince of Dorne. Despite appearing for only one season, the character became a fan favourite. Years later, Pascal was unequivocal about its importance. Asked by the Golden Globes what had changed everything for him, he replied: “It was Game of Thrones and then Narcos,” before adding that Game of Thrones “really was the moment of change for me.” His unusual audition became part of Hollywood lore. Vanity Fair reported that Pascal initially recorded himself on an iPhone, while co-showrunner David Benioff later remembered the video as technically amateurish but the performance as “intense and believable”.

The success that arrived late for Game of Thrones actor

Game of Thrones opened the door to Narcos, followed by The Mandalorian, The Last of Us and major film roles. Yet Pascal’s rise is striking precisely because it did not follow the traditional young-star trajectory. For years, he had plenty of reasons to walk away. Instead, the actor who once worried that 29 might be his deadline finally found his career-changing role approaching 40. Pascal's story offers a simple counterpoint to Hollywood's obsession with overnight success: sometimes the breakthrough comes long after the deadline you once set for yourself.