Pedro Pascal Reveals How Buffy the Vampire Slayer Role “Saved” Him

Pedro Pascal is currently thriving in Hollywood. The actor is starring in hit shows like Star Wars: The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, and will soon be seen in big films such as Gladiator 2 and The Fantastic Four. However, it took the actor a long time to break through in Hollywood. After winning the SAG Award for Best Male Actor in a Drama Series last month, the actor spoke with Entertainment Tonight about his early struggles as an actor. One of Pascal’s first gigs was appearing in the season four premiere of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1999. Pascal played a fellow college student of Buffy’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) who quickly gets turned into a vampire. Turns out, residuals from that job kept Pascal from being homeless.

“My entry level lasted about 15 years,” Pascal shared. “We’re talking about being able to see a doctor, getting sick, having surgery, paying my rent. I had less than $7 in my bank account and a residual from Buffy the Vampire Slayer showed up and saved the day and literally is the reason I was able to stay in [Hollywood] and not give up.”

Pedro Pascal Reflects on Filming Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

“Absolutely everything,” Pascal told ET last year when asked what he remembers about his time on Buffy. “I remember [Sarah Michelle Gellar] had ice cream in her trailer, and she gave me some. She went back to her trailer, she got me some ice cream and she shared — ’cause it was a night shoot, it was in the middle of the night, and we were on the UCLA campus. They hadn’t built their college sets yet.” 

He added, “I was doing a play in Long Beach, and I had to miss opening night because we had to shoot this very, very short moment. I remember everything. I could go on, and on and on. I could give you step by step, every detail.” Pascal continued, “I had to have lunch in the vamp mask, and vamp face, … And she was incredibly kind. She taught me how to use a sandbag to hit my mark. She was the best.”

When Is Fantastic Four Being Released?

Matt Shakman is directing Fantastic Four, which is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on July 25, 2025. Shakman has previously said that the reboot will be much from previous attempts to bring Marvel’s first family to life on the big screen.

“It’s different in so many ways. I wish I could be specific,” Shakman said. “I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.”

Stay tuned for more updates about Pedro Pascal.