dishin' it

Lux Pascal dishes on her sibling bond with Pedro Pascal, ‘Donnie Darko’ crush, & having a “degree in gayness”

By · Updated on January 16, 2024

Actress and activist Lux Pascal might be following in the thespian footsteps of her older brother Pedro, but she’s no “nepo sibling”—she’s carving a path all her own.

Though she was born in California, Pascal relocated with her family to their native Chile at a young age. While Pedro remained stateside to pursue a film and television career, she found her passion for the arts through Chilean theater, particularly the works of queer playwrights like Ramón Griffero and Manuela Infante.

During her time studying theater in college in Santiago, Pascal made her stage debut and landed her first TV role in the drama Los 80, which led to a steady stream of screen work in the 2010s, including Chilean miniseries Juana Brava, and an arc opposite her brother in Netflix‘s Narcos.

In 2019, she returned to the U.S. and enrolled in the prestigious Juilliard School’s MFA Acting program. During her studies, she began the process of gender-affirming care and, in 2021, announced she is a transgender woman with a powerful interview and photospread in the Chilean magazine Ya.

Related:

Pedro Pascal takes to Instagram to celebrate his trans sister, Lux

“My sister, my heart, our Lux.”

Last year, Pascal graduated from Juilliard and was among the star-studded ensemble of Love In Gravity season 2—alongside names like Gina Torres, Froy Gutierrez, and Jake Borelli—the award-nominated narrative audio series from ViiV Healthcare. As the only pharmaceutical company solely focused on HIV, ViiV believes in the power of authentic storytelling to address perceptions of HIV, so they created the podcast alongside entertainment studio Harley & Co. to combat the stigma that negatively impacts the lives of millions of people.

Next, she takes the lead in in the dramatic short film Bust from director Angal Field (co-starring Gossip Girl‘s Cole Doman), where she plays a trans NYPD officer who goes undercover in a dangerous drug ring. The highly anticipated short is set to premiere next weekend at the Sundance Film Festival.

Surely, big things are ahead for the young actress, so we jumped at the chance to invite her to the hot seat for our rapid-fire Q&A series, Dishin’ It. In our conversation, Pascal opens up about the strangest places she’s been recognized, the sweetest (and most annoying!) thing about her close relationship with Pedro, and why she thinks studying acting is “probably one of the gayest things someone can do.”

Lux Pascal in short film ‘Bust’ | Image Credit: Sundance Film Festival

Is there a piece of media—whether a movie, TV series, book, album, theater, video game, etc…—that you consider a big part of your own personal journey, or that has played an important role in your understanding of queerness and the queer community? Why does it stand out to you? 

There are many Chilean plays by playwright and director Ramón Griffero that I remember really inspired me to become an actress growing up. Río Abajo, Fin del Eclipse, and 99 La Morgue were all plays by him that had astonishing queer stories that were both aesthetically mesmerizing and held deep political meaning.

I also remember loving the work Manuela Infante did while I was studying Drama in Chile; Estado Vegetal, Cristo, and Xuárez. They both make visually astonishing work and also develop the critical minds of many young and queer artists in Chile and around the world. I am very lucky that I come from a country with such a rich theater background.

You lend your voice to season two of the narrative podcast Love In Gravity, which aims to normalize HIV prevention and increase awareness among the Latin LGBTQ+ community. What is it about this story, and the aims of this podcast, that resonates most with you?

I think that what resonates most to me is the familiarity that the show expresses with LGBTQ+ community. It isn’t afraid to get real and show us what is uncomfortable about how queer Latin people experience their identity and surroundings. It also isn’t afraid to be romantic and sweet and silly. It doesn’t try to control a queer narrative to make it digestible or sanitized. It’s an epic love story, how love can truly be and how difficult it can be. It is an incredibly relatable story. Love In Gravity is one of those shows that makes me realize how far we’ve come with representation. And it is also such a joy to listen to.

This season is about a football player and pop star who fall in love and try to keep it out of the public eye, but they get spotted everywhere they go. Where’s the funniest or strangest place you’ve been recognized for your work?

For some reason I’ve been recognized a handful of times in the movie theater. And it has always been in the most pleasant way. It’s interesting because in those circumstances you are there to enjoy a movie and it isn’t necessarily a blockbuster, so the crowd is pretty sparse, and the times I’ve gotten recognized it has always given me a sense that I’ve been recognized by people who are a part of my own little “movie goers’ community.” The times it has happened it has always given me a sense of belonging. I’ve always loved cinema so to be recognized by people who also love it is such a joy!

We love seeing you and your brother Pedro always being so supportive of one another. What’s the best thing about having Pedro as a brother… and—because sibling’s always know how to get on our nerves—what’s the most annoying?

I love how open my relationship with my brother is. There is nothing I feel like I can’t share with him. It’s a huge privilege to have an older sibling like him, because, in a way, he makes me feel like I’ll never be alone… and certainly I wish I can give him that sense of security too. I guess that could be a little annoying! We never leave each other alone!! But I love Pedro, I love all my siblings, they are kind of the best part of my life…

Where’s one of the first places/spaces you can remember that made you feel a part of a queer community?

I guess I’d have to say… Drama school! Duh! But all jokes aside, studying acting is probably one of the gayest things someone can do. And I did it two times! I basically have a medical degree in gayness. There will always be something innately queer about theater, that is why it’s so silly to try to make it too serious or instill labels within it. Theater to me is all about freedom!

Congrats on graduating from Juilliard’s MFA Acting program earlier this year! What’s next for you in your acting career? Are you interested in certain genres or kinds of storytelling? What’s an example of a dream project/role you’d love?

Thank you so much! I’m still recovering from that experience. I guess one of the most important things that Juilliard taught me is to take my time and be easy on myself. Funny, coming from a performing arts conservatory, I know. But really, I’m not trying to rush things. I do want to remain focused however. Focused so that I enjoy the things that do happen to come my way.

It feels like the world is in such a crisis that I am lucky to even have work to do. To even dream of pursuing projects and roles that I’ve always wanted. And there are many things that I’d like to do, for sure. And every time I get the chance to act, even if the story has nothing to do with a character I fantasize about playing one day, I still put a little of that fantasy into everything I do!

Who’s a fictional character you had a crush on at a younger age (or maybe still do!)? What do you remember loving about them?

I had the biggest crush on Donnie Darko. I would always imagine that I was Gretchen Ross, his love interest. I’d memorize all of her lines and just say them out loud, pretending like I was in the movie with him. I even remember wishing I had lived my childhood in the eighties, which is the time when the movie takes place.

I think that Jake Gyllenhaal does such a wonderful job in the movie, and so does Jena Malone! Donnie Darko to me was the perfect hero. He was smart, self-sacrificing, protected the ones that needed it and had a dark side, a special sensitivity that made him really magnetic to me. No wonder that movie is such a cult favorite!

Who is a queer or trans chef/artist/performer/creator that you think is doing really cool work right now? Why are they someone we should all be paying attention to?

I’m the biggest fan of ContraPoints (Natalie Wynn). I think her video essays on YouTube are just a symphony of everything I love: politics, philosophy, art. She is also probably the smartest and funniest person on the internet right now.

I also really enjoy Kat Blaque. She also uploads content on YouTube and I really relate to her content. She is also incredibly smart and witty. I think the both of them give such a nuanced, raw and real perspective on how being trans has shaped their experiences. And they have both lived very different lives and are successful in different ways.

And whenever I want to feel lighthearted and have a giggle I like to watch videos from Gigi Gorgeous. Can you tell I am addicted to YouTube? You can say what you want about it, but it is truly a platform where so many of us learned a lot about our own identities.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated