Lux Pascal

The weight of the family name and a Juilliard education

Lux Pascal was born in California in 1992, but her artistic identity was forged in the Santiago de Chile of the nineties.

The daughter of political exiles, she returned to her parents' homeland to study acting at the Catholic University. There she began working under the name Lucas Balmaceda. Her first big break was the series Los 80, where she played Axel Miller for three seasons.

Her commitment to classical theater saved her from being typecast on television.

In 2019, she decided to move to New York to enroll at the prestigious Juilliard School. She wasn't chasing quick fame but pure technique. Only a small percentage of applicants get into this conservatory, and she made it after years of filming in Chile.

Her public transition and genre cinema

In February 2021, the actress graced the cover of the Chilean magazine Ya to announce her gender transition. Her brother, Pedro Pascal, offered his full support from the very first moment. But Lux always made it clear that her career would not depend on her private life.

She appeared in the third season of Narcos, playing Elías. It was a small role that let her understand how major Netflix productions worked.

Her international recognition, however, came with La Jauría in 2020. In this feminist thriller, she played Benjamín Beltrán and showed she could carry complex storylines with enviable economy of gesture.

Writing her own story took a back seat to her acting career.

In 2022, she starred alongside Nicolas Cage in the film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Although her role was brief, the project helped put her on the radar of casting directors in Los Angeles.

Projects in the United States and Independent Film

During 2024, she got involved in the comedy Summer Camp, directed by Castille Landon. She shared the set with Diane Keaton and Kathy Bates in a production aiming for a light, nostalgic tone. Her contract included specific clauses on trans representation on screen to avoid tired stereotypes.

Also in 2024, she worked on the Chilean feature film Ella es el 7.

The actress lives mainly in New York, where she balances auditions with experimental theater projects. Her salary per episode in streaming productions ranges between $15,000 and $30,000 according to the SAG-AFTRA union scale.