Pedro Pascal’s parents: The story of José Balmaceda Riera and Verónica Pascal Ureta
José Balmaceda Riera and Verónica Pascal Ureta have always been in the success story of the beloved Chilean-American actor, Pedro Pascal. The actor once said about his parents:
Without them, I wouldn’t be here in this wonderful country, and I certainly wouldn’t be standing here with you all tonight.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Pedro Pascal was born in Chile.
- His parents, José Balmaceda Riera and Veronica Pascal, were not political revolutionaries.
- Pedro Pascal’s parents relocated to Chile after his father was investigated for medical misconduct.
Profile summary
| Full name | José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 2 April 1975 |
| Zodiac sign | Aries |
| Age | 50 years old (as of March 2025) |
| Place of birth | Santiago, Chile |
| Current residence | United States |
| Nationality | Chilean-American |
| Ethnicity | Hispanic |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 5’11’’ (180 cm) |
| Weight | 167 lbs (76 kg) |
| Hair colour | Dark brown |
| Eye colour | Brown |
| Father | José Balmaceda Riera |
| Mother | Verónica Pascal Ureta |
| Profession | Actor |
| Net worth | $10 million |
Who are Pedro Pascal’s parents?
Pascal’s parents are José Balmaceda Riera and Verónica Pascal. His father is a Chilean medical professional in fertility medicine. Pedro Pascal’s father is of Castilian-Basque aristocratic descent. His paternal grandmother was born in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Verónica, Pedro Pascal’s mom, was a child psychologist, a cousin of Andrés Pascal Allende, the nephew of Chilean President Salvador Allende through his sister, Laura. She had two daughters and two sons with her husband: Javiera, Pedro, Nicolás, and, Lux. As the New York Times in 2017, he said:
We were sent to Denmark and then the U.S. My sister and I were born in Chile and raised in the States.
Source: Original
José and Verónica were exposed to the political rumbling in the country during their early marriage. In an appearance on the SmartLess podcast in June 2023, Pedro described his parents’ experiences in these words:
They were just very young when they had my sister and me. I wouldn’t say my parents were revolutionaries by any stretch of the imagination, but they were young, liberal college students.
Why did Pedro Pascal's family flee Chile?
The relocation of Pedro Pascal’s family is tied to Chile’s turbulent political history. In 1973, General Augusto Pinochet overthrew Chile’s democratically elected socialist government, headed by Salvador Allende. It was the beginning of a dictatorship that had a dramatic effect on Pascal’s family.
Under Pinochet’s regime, Riera and his wife Verónica Pascal were declared enemies of the state because a rebel was brought in and treated in his home. They had sought refuge in the Venezuelan embassy in Santiago to escape persecution.
The family stayed in Chile for six months before Pascal was nine months old and fled to Chile. Before settling in the United States, the family was granted political asylum in Denmark.
A life in asylum
The family settled in San Antonio, Texas, where Pascal was raised with his older sister. The family moved to Orange County, California, after Riera got a job in the state. Pedro and his family frequently travelled back to Chile, where they bonded with their extended family.
Pedro Pascal’s parents gave birth to his younger siblings, Nicolás Balmaceda Pascal and Lux Balmaceda Pascal, while still in asylum. They returned to their home country with their two younger children in 1995.
Source: UGC
Controversies around José Riera’s work
The Los Angeles Times reported that in 1995, José Balmaceda Riera was investigated in connection with the UC Irvine fertility scandal. He and his partners were accused of switching frozen embryos without patients' consent, tax fraud, and other misconduct.
José denied any medical wrongdoing. While the investigation was on, he and his wife moved to Chile with their two younger children.
What happened to Pedro Pascal's mother?
Four years after returning to Chile, Verónica Pascal passed away on 4 February 1999, per Esquire. Before her passing away, Pedro’s parents experienced some marital issues amidst all the political uncertainties and asylum.
These marital crises reached a breaking point after they returned to Chile and the couple separated. Pedro Pascal had this to say in a 2017 interview with La Tercera:
For me, it was the hardest time. I haven't been able, and I don't know if I can one day, completely reconcile how my parents separated and the tragedy that came after that separation. The circumstances of my mother's death made it very hard for us to keep her memory as the person she was. It just hurts so much.
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
- Why did Pedro Pascal change his last name? The Game of Thrones actor changed his last name to Pascal to honour the memory of his late mother, Verónica Pascal.
- Does Pedro Pascal have a twin brother? He does not have a twin brother. His siblings include an older sister, one younger brother and another younger sister.
- Was Pedro Pascal born in Chile? He was born in Chile and was only a few months old when his parents left Chile to seek asylum.
- Does Pedro Pascal have a kid? The actor does not have a kid and does not have a wife.
The story of José Balmaceda Riera and his wife is one of survival and resilience in the face of political uncertainties. Their political refugee experience strongly influenced Pedro Pascal's and his siblings' upbringing. Their experiences helped shape their cultural and social blend of contrasting societies.
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