Pedro Pascal is everywhere right now. Beginning as the masked warrior in The Mandalorian to portraying the Dornish prince in Game of Thrones, he has emerged as one of cinema’s most recognizable personalities. Before fame found him, the star dug smaller projects where he could experiment with both humor and menace.
And one of the most overlooked films is the 2015 indie comedy-horror Bloodsucking Bastards. The movie is absurd and delightfully gory. It’s well-known that the actor shines in a role that’s equal parts terrifying and hilarious. This early performance offers a rare peek at the charisma that would ultimately make him the megastar he is today.
Max Phillips Proves Pedro Pascal Can Own Every Scene
In Bloodsucking Bastards, Pascal portrays Max Phillips – a smug, self-centered manager who is covertly a creature of the night. He transforms the workplace into a frenzied, gore-drenched disaster. Just imagine a mashup of The Office and a bloodsucker thriller, and you’ll catch the vibe. Max is brash, yet undeniably amusing. Pascal leans into every exaggerated gesture, delivering one-liners with perfect timing.
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Pedro Pascal as Max Phillips in BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS (2015). pic.twitter.com/eGbaOilZTD
— roberta (@robspascal) March 10, 2025
Fans on Reddit even remarked that, “He was nothing but pure sass in this movie, which I enjoyed very much.” Pascal’s depiction of Max keeps the narrative grounded by being both intimidating and amusing. Reviewers have acknowledged his acting, claiming it lifts the movie past its humble indie roots. The film holds a 68% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Back in 2015, Pascal was securing minor impressions in series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and NYPD Blue.
pedro pascal in 'buffy the vampire slayer', 2000 pic.twitter.com/gjVUeWrBqi
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) July 27, 2025
However, this 1-hour and 24-minute flick offered him the chance to dive into humor and over-the-top expression like never before. Watching him as Max, you can see the beginnings of his signature presence. That same skill would later make Oberyn Martell and Joel Miller indelible. For anyone curious about his early work, Bloodsucking Bastards is a fun discovery, which is available to stream on Prime Video both in India and the US.
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