Narcos star: TV is getting better while politics is so horrifying

NARCOS star Pedro Pascal says that as a foreign-born actor in the current climate he “expected to be the last one” to be asked to return for its third series.

The actor, 41, who was born in Chile, plays Javier Peña, an agent with America’s Drugs Enforcement Administration, in the drama based on the life of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

He said: “I expected to be the last one to be asked to come back to Narcos season three. I know it’s dumb, but I feel that as far as politics of the western world [is concerned], it’s all looking so bleak, so disappointing and global politics are going so horrifyingly backwards, yet television is moving forwards in terms of its themes, its culture, its representation of progress, its diversity, its risk-taking in story-telling.

“Even if this is a delusional rationalisation, I take comfort in how good programming is, compared to how horrible politics are.”

Pascal, who won plaudits for his role as Oberyn Martell in HBO’s fantasy series Game Of Thrones, plays a secret agent in forthcoming comedy-action sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

He told Solar magazine: “It was like a goddamn circus of amazing movie stars: Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Colin Firth, Channing Tatum. It was actually extremely terrifying, but I think that the fan boy in me is so loud, that it overrode the fear of being in that company.” @alistair_foster