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Pedro Pascal became a star thanks to Wonder Woman, Game of Thrones, and The Mandalorian, but Narcos hooked fans. From 2015 to 2017, he brought the dangerous world of Pablo Escobar to life as Javier Peña. But in 2017, Pascal walked away from the show—not because of a busy schedule but because of something way more chilling.
Tragedy struck when location scout Carlos Muñoz Portal was found dead in a remote area in Mexico while scouting for Narcos: Mexico. His death, tied to cartel violence, forced Pascal and the entire crew to rethink the safety of filming in such dangerous areas. Pascal clarified: “We can’t do it if it’s unsafe. We’re talking about lives.” And when a lead star says safety comes first, you know it’s no joke.
Around the same time, the drama also kicked off behind the scenes with Pablo Escobar’s brother, Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, threatening to shut the show down unless Netflix forked out a whopping $1 billion. He even went so far as to suggest that Netflix hire “hitmen” for security. “You have to eliminate all threats,” he said, recounting a close call with the military in the jungle while hauling around $2 million in cash. “If you have the intellect, you don’t need to use weapons,” he added. “If not, you have to.”
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