Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the reason why Pedro Pascal didn’t “give up” on Hollywood.
In 1999, the actor guest-starred in the season four premiere as Eddie, a fellow freshman who forms a bond with the title character – that is, until he’s turned into a blood-sucker and Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is forced to dust him.
Pascal, who was credited as Pedro Balmaceda at the time, recently told Entertainment Tonight that his small role on the iconic fantasy drama allowed him to pay his rent.
“My entry-level lasted about 15 years, and we’re talking about not being able to see a doctor, getting sick, getting surgery, being able to pay my rent,” he explained.
“I had less than $7 in my 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 it and not give up.”
Last year, Gellar shared a throwback photo from the episode – titled ‘The Freshman’ – in which she wrote: “When mother met father.”
The Cruel Intentions star has been referring to herself as “mother” – even going as far to update her Instagram bio – after a conversation with GAY TIMES, in which she questioned why the LGBTQIA+ community has hailed her as such. (You can watch the clip here.)
After being made aware of Gellar’s post, Pascal told Access Hollywood: “What I just found out — which I am very excited about, and I can’t wait to get my phone back so that I can look it up myself — is that Sarah Michelle Gellar remembers me.
“I remember every moment of shooting that episode, as brief as it was, she was such a kind scene partner and we had the best time.”
In another conversation with Entertainment Tonight, he recalled of his time on set: “I remember she 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.”
Earlier this month, Buffy the Vampire Slayer celebrated its 27th anniversary. As a result of its enduring feminist and queer legacy, and for its influence on popular culture, we reflected on the series’ gayest and campest moments.
Since his small stint on Gellar’s show, Pascal has starred as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones, Javier Peňa in Narcos and as the title character in the Star Wars series The Mandalorian.
He earned nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his lauded performance as Joel Miller in HBO’s post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us, which is currently shooting its second season.
In addition to his role in The Last of Us, Pascal has also garnered a major LGBTQIA+ following for starring in queer projects such as Strange Way of Life and Drive-Away Dolls.
Pascal has also championed the LGBTQIA+ community on various occasions, and has spoken about how ‘lethally protective’ he is of his transgender sister Lux Pascal.
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