Pedro Pascal speaks out on Trump's immigration policies, recalls his journey as a refugee at Cannes Film Festival

Pedro Pascal addressed US politics and Donald Trump's immigration policies at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for Ari Aster’s Eddington.

Updated on: May 17, 2025, 21:06:53 IST

By Santanu Das

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Actor Pedro Pascal is at the Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of his film Eddington, which is a Covid-set satire directed by Ari Aster. The actor attended the press conference for the film along with co-stars Austin Butler, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix and Michael Ward. He addressed the current upheaval in the US politics under the presidency of Donald Trump and also opened up about his own family history. (Also read: Woman accuses film executive in Cannes of sexual assault during event, actor banned from red carpet over rape accusation)

Chilean-US actor Pedro Pascal poses during a photocall for the film "Eddington" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival. (Photo by Valery HACHE / AFP) (AFP)

What Pedro Pascal said

As per The Independent, Pedro talked about making films that take aim at the current political climate in the US, and said, “Fear is the way they win. So, keep telling the stories. Keep expressing yourself and keep fighting to be who you are. F*** the people that try to make you scared… And fight back. This is the perfect way to do so in telling stories. And don’t let them win. Obviously, it’s very scary for an actor participating in a movie to sort of speak to issues like this. It’s far too intimidating the question for me to really address, I’m not informed enough.”

‘I want people to be safe’

The actor recounted how his own family fled a country under dictatorship and made a home in the US. He said, “I want people to be safe and to be protected and I want very much to live on the right [side of] history. I’m an immigrant. My parents are refugees from Chile. We fled a dictatorship and I was privileged enough to grow up in the US after asylum in Denmark. If it weren’t for that, I don’t know what would have happened to us. I stand by those protections. I’m too afraid of your question. I hardly remember what it was.”

This week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that the Donald Trump-led administration will pay one thousand dollars and provide travel assistance to migrants to go back to their home country voluntarily. After taking office for the second time, Trump has released a slew of executive orders and press statements that aimed at tightening border security and removing illegal immigrants from the country.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

Stay connected with all the glitz and glam from the world of entertainment, right from Hollywood gossip to Bollywood chit chat. Also don't miss out on music buzz, anime scoops and OTT action.