A Four-Minute Interview That Says Everything About Pedro Pascal

As a society, we’ve gotten comfortable with celebrities existing at an almost unattainable plane. Chiseled jaws and gym-filtered bodies aren’t the problem, of course—it’s the preemptive spinning that accompanies every interview, the calculated appearances on Ellen, the months of build-up to their album drop. As industry gatekeepers and communication models have shifted toward corporate consolidation and mass-marketing platforms, the result is a space where stars often seem robotic or inauthentic.

But then there’s Pedro Pascal.

The 50-year-old actor is not one to shy away from having a voice, regardless of public opinion. It’s not just a sidestep when Pascal talks about what his new projects mean to him; when he chooses to amplify activist efforts or humanitarian causes, it demonstrates that he does have something important to say.

The Chilean-American star, who has seen substantial growth in viewership over the last two years for series like The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, is currently the center of Marvel’s latest comic book film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Pascal portrays the titular Dr. Reed Richards in the standalone adventure. While preparing for the movie’s first press tour in London, Pascal took the time to share his feelings on being open about the work he does with Sky News, published on Monday.

The Issues of Speaking Up in the Spotlight

The consensus among reporters was that it’s taken Pascal a while to become a household name. That assumption is a reasonable one to make, considering the plethora of projects that have come after the years of major work on Game of Thrones. Yet while some actors may have the opposite problem—becoming too visible or overexposed to the detriment of an acting career—that’s never seemed to be the case for Pascal. The relief is palpable to watch as he opens up about his work and everything that he does.

In Pascal’s own words, the celebrity spotlight comes with inherent risks.

“I think it’s very easy to get scared, no matter what you sort of talk about,” he said.

And he’s right to feel that way. More than ever, the social-media cycle has made one phrase or misheard line applicable to all the press. It’s a sentence plucked from context on TikTok or transmogrified into a viral-baiting headline before your morning coffee. “There are so many different ways that things can get kind of fractured and have a life of itself,” Pascal says.

But despite knowing how public conversation works in the internet age, the actor doesn’t plan to censor himself.

“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.”

Pedro Pascal as Dr. Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps

It’s the mic-drop moment of a four-minute interview. Pascal is resigned, yes, to the pitfalls of fame, but just as adamant to continue speaking on what matters to him. It’s the opposite approach that some people have taken during a time when public debate has become more volatile and less nuanced, or shut down completely. When taken together, Pascal’s words illustrate an admirable commitment to truth in an entertainment industry that can go from supportive to ruthless in the span of a news cycle.

His Integrity Makes Pedro Pascal’s Voice Indispensable

In The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Dr. Reed Richards is burdened with an immense amount of responsibility. As an ambassador of the human race on a new planet and the father of an unborn child with Sue Storm, Richards is expected to do the best that he can to ensure the safety of his community. This allegory of paternalism isn’t lost on Pascal. In a similar way to the Reed he’s playing on-screen, he too feels the weight of public opinion and projects that onto what he has to say.

Filmed under the direction of WandaVision helmer Matt Shakman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the first standalone adventure for the superhero group. Produced by Marvel Studios, the live-action film stars Pascal alongside Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn. With such a talented crew backing them, fans are in for a treat—but it’s Pascal who may steal the show, in more ways than one.

Pedro Pascal: What Fans Can Expect from The Fantastic Four

At first glance, Pascal’s mounting celebrity might be a liability. With so many eyes on him and on every project that he works on, how does he keep pushing in his chosen field? The secret is in the work. Contrary to what many A-listers have been for years, Pascal didn’t become a star overnight or by courting attention on social media. The way to his ascent wasn’t paved by clickable takes but by hours of playing difficult roles and, more importantly, by never having to apologize for them.

Pedro Pascal and Simon Kinberg at The Fantastic Four: First Steps premiere

In an age of content overload and planned authenticity, Pascal’s choice to speak candidly about his passions is the antithesis to what some celebrities have chosen to do. He’s human first, a Marvel hero second. That combination might be what makes him so “fantastic.”