Who Plays Master Chief in the Halo TV Series?

The Halo TV Series is now streaming on Paramount+, finally bringing the landmark video game series to live-action. The iconic hero of the Halo franchise is the legendary Master Chief, who is the pinnacle of the UNSC’s SPARTAN super-soldier program. Fans know Master Chief from his signature green armor and golden visor – as well as the hero’s view of the world through his helmet. However, the Halo TV series is no First-Person Shooter game and the show’s version of Master Chief needs a competent actor to center and ground the series. 

Who Plays Master Chief in the Halo TV Series? The actor’s name is Pablo Schreiber, and you’ve probably seen him onscreen (and loved him) before… 

Pablo Schreiber is (technically) a Canadian actor who was born and raised in a hippie commune in Ymir British Columbia. Pablo is actually the younger half-brother of actor Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan, X-Men Origins: Wolverine); their father, Tell Carroll, was also an actor and artist, and named Pablo Schreiber after the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. 

Like his father and half-brother, Pablo Schreiber went into acting after attending the University of San Francisco, where he originally hoped to compete in college basketball; he would finish his college studies in 2000 with a degree in theatre from Carnegie Mellon University. 

Schreiber’s first big break (and still famous role) was playing the lead character of Nick Sobotka on Season 2 of HBO’s The Wire. Though the shift in the show’s characters and perspective during the sophomore season was widely criticized, Schreiber was highlighted as a major standout. The Wire propelled him to other notable roles in films (appearing along with his half-brother Liev in The Manchurian Candidate remake, or a role in the Lords of Dogtown biopic), as well as TV. Schreiber played Olivia Benson’s serial rapist nemesis William Lewis in Law & Order: SVU; had a recurring role on Showtime’s Weeds, and had standout appearances in hit shows ranging from The Good Wife to It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia.

In the 2010s, Schreiber scored his next big breakout role, playing prison guard George “Pornstache” Mendez in Netflix’s hit series Orange Is The New Black. The role earned him a 2015 Primetime Emmy nomination for Oustanding Guest Actor in a Darma Series. OITNB helped further Schreiber’s opportunities: he starred in Michael Bay’s biopic about Benghazi (13 Hours),  played the main villain in Gerard Butler’s cult-hit action flick Den of Thieves, and went up against The Rock in the blockbuster actioner Skyscraper. 

Pablo Schreiber ended out the 2010s by once again being a scene-stealing standout as disgraced Leprichan “Mad Sweeney” in Starz’s American Gods TV series. When that project finally stalled out, Schreiber made the jump to playing the lead in the Halo TV series. 

After viewing Halo’s premiere episode, it’s clear that the makers of the show chose well in Pablo Schreiber. The actor is able to at once make the Master Chief feel like the character from the games when his helmet is on – and he definitely carries the “controversial” moments when scenes call for him to take the helmet off. The actor’s swole physique and gruff demeanor are perfectly suited for Master Chief, and are two reasons why fans want Schreiber’s next role to be Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – something Schreiber is very much onboard for:

“Those are my two favorite guys [Wolverine, Daredevil] and I would jump at the chance to play either one of them in a second,” Schreiber told ComicBook.com. “And you know I think Hugh is done now with Wolverine, so maybe it’s time for a reboot. Maybe it’s time for a new Wolverine.”

Halo is now streaming exclusively on Paramount+.