New Delhi:
It’s difficult to pinpoint that one viral moment that crowned Pedro Pascal as the Internet’s “zaddy”. The Chilean and American actor’s evolution from a popular actor oozing loads of charm to becoming a social media sweetheart has been in the making for a while now.
Fans drooling over his quirks with The Materialists co-stars Dakota Johnson and Chris Evans to pining for him after videos of his sensational “Sleeveless Muscle Tank Top” moments at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival red carpet last month went viral on social media, the rise and rise of Pedro Pascal doesn’t appear to be a strategic move to promote his new movie, which hit the screens on Friday.
The 50-year-old actor shot to fame over a decade ago with his breakout role as the complex yet charismatic and a formidable fighter, Oberyn Martell who gained a fan-following in the fourth season of the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones.
i can’t wear a mask, i have breathing problems” ok?? Pedro Pascal literally has the BROADEST fucking shoulders know to man and still wears shirts pic.twitter.com/H3etuPiJ0M— jenna ☀️ (@seminerdist) February 7, 2021
What really cemented his standing as a beloved actor was his kinder onscreen versions in shows such as The Mandalorian and The Last Of Us.
In The Mandalorian, he won hearts as a gruff but instinctively paternal character of Din Djarin, a Mandalorian bounty hunter. He made the character humane and relatable which left a lasting impression.
In The Last Of Us as well, he portrays the character of Joe Miller, a post-apocalyptic survivor who’s consumed by internal conflicts and fatherly instincts as he escorts Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a young girl with immunity to the fungal infection, across the United States.
pedro pascal in the last of us (2025) pic.twitter.com/4CN2vKUq0U— screencaps (@screenscaps) June 9, 2025
This adulation grew organically over time, with his mentions ruling Reddit conversations, social media memes, and TikTok reels. Pedro took it all in good humour and joked about playing an integral part in shaping the trend that is “Internet’s sweetheart”.
The year 2025 saw him reclaim this status.
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