The story of José Balmaceda Riera, Pedro Pascal's father, and the star's family
José Balmaceda Riera is a Chilean reproductive endocrinologist and fertility doctor, widely known as the father of actor Pedro Pascal. He and his late wife, child psychologist Verónica Pascal Ureta, fled Chile as political refugees when their son, Pedro Pascal, was nine months old, later settling in the United States.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- José Balmaceda Riera is a fertility doctor who worked at the University of California, Irvine.
- He was married to Verónica Pascal Ureta, a child psychologist, until she died in 1999.
- José Balmaceda Riera is the father of four children: Javiera, Pedro, Nicolás, and Lux.
- Pedro Pascal’s family fled Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship, later settling in the United States.
Profile summary
Full name | José Balmaceda Riera |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 22 August 1948 |
Age | 77 years old (as of 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Leo |
Place of birth | Santiago, Chile |
Current residence | Chile |
Nationality | Chilean |
Ethnicity | Latino |
Sexuality | Straight |
Hair colour | Dark (grey with age) |
Eye colour | Dark brown |
Father | José Francisco Balmaceda Vergara |
Mother | Juana “Juanita” Riera Bauzá |
Siblings | Ana María, Teresa Paulina |
Relationship status | Married |
Wife | Verónica Pascal Ureta |
Children | Pedro Pascal, Nicolás, Javiera, Lux Pascal |
Profession | Reproductive endocrinologist, fertility doctor |
Who is José Balmaceda Riera, Pedro Pascal's father?
José Balmaceda Riera is a Chilean reproductive endocrinologist and fertility doctor, best known as the father of actor Pedro Pascal. He was born on 22 August 1948 in Santiago, Chile.
His parents were José Francisco Balmaceda Vergara, born in 1914 and Juana (Juanita) Riera Bauzá, who was originally from Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
José Balmaceda Riera reportedly had at least two sisters, Ana María Balmaceda Riera and Teresa Paulina Balmaceda Riera, who are both deceased.
Source: Original
Political exile: How José Balmaceda Riera’s family escaped Chile
In 1975, following the military coup in Chile, Balmaceda and his family fled the country due to their opposition to the Augusto Pinochet regime. After seeking asylum at the Venezuelan embassy, they lived in Denmark before settling in San Antonio, Texas, and later Southern California.
Pedro told Interview magazine in 2014:
My parents were so young, and they were Chilean immigrants in San Antonio, Texas. It was all about going to movies, rock concerts, and Spurs games,
A look at José Balmaceda Riera’s medical career and controversy
Balmaceda practised as a fertility doctor in the United States and was a co-director of a clinic at the University of California, Irvine. As documented by the Los Angeles Times, in 1995, José Balmaceda Riera was involved in a major medical scandal involving allegations of switching frozen embryos without patient consent along with tax fraud and other allegations.
Source: UGC
He denied the accusations but relocated to Chile with his wife and two younger children shortly after the investigation began. In a 2017 interview with La Tercera newspaper, Pedro opened up about the experience, stating:
It was a period of great fear. I grew up with my family in the U.S., and one day to the next, there was no longer a home to return to. Suddenly, the idea of the safe nest had disappeared. It was shocking because, in the previous years, I took for granted the privileged life we had in California.
Despite the past controversy, Balmaceda remains a supportive presence in his son's life. He has recently been seen accompanying Pedro to major events, such as the 2024 London premiere of Gladiator II. In February 2023, during his Saturday Night Live monologue, Pedro Pascal spoke about his parents and thanked them for their bravery and support, stating:
They were so brave, and without them, I wouldn’t be here in this wonderful country, and I certainly wouldn’t be standing here with you all tonight. So, to all my family watching in Chile, I want to say te amo, te extraño ... which means, I love you, I miss you.
Who is José Balmaceda Riera’s wife?
Source: UGC
José Balmaceda Riera’s wife was Verónica Pascal Ureta, a Chilean child psychologist, born in 1953. She was related to the influential Allende family. She was the cousin of Andrés Pascal Allende, a leader of the revolutionary Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR) and nephew of socialist President Salvador Allende.
Pedro’s parents separated after returning to Chile in the mid-1990s, and his mother passed away on 4 February 1999 at the age of 46. Following her death, Pedro Pascal later changed his professional surname from Balmaceda to Pascal to honour her memory. Reflecting on his mother’s death, the popular actor La Tercera:
For me, it was the hardest time. I haven't been able to, and I don't know if I can one day, completely reconcile how my parents separated and the tragedy that came after that separation. The circumstances of my mother's death made it very hard for us to keep her memory as the person she was. It just hurts so much.
The Chilean-American actor frequently credits his mother as the reason for his success. He told People in 2020:
She was always incredibly supportive, never a stage mom. I always felt like she knew something I didn’t. None of [my success] would be real if it weren’t for her.
Who are José Balmaceda Riera’s children?
Source: UGC
José Balmaceda Riera has four children with his late wife, Verónica Pascal Ureta: Javiera Balmaceda Pascal, born in 1972, Pedro Pascal, born in 1975, Nicolás Balmaceda Pascal, born in 1987 and Lux Pascal, born in 1992.
Javiera Balmaceda Pascal, the eldest child, is a television and film producer. She serves as the Head of Local Originals for Latin America at Amazon MGM Studios. Pedro Pascal, born José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal, is a world-renowned actor known for leading roles in The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and Game of Thrones.
Unlike his siblings in entertainment, Nicolás works in the medical field. He pursued a PhD in paediatric neurology. Lux, the youngest child, is an actress and transgender activist. She graduated from the Juilliard School and has appeared in various Chilean and international productions.
Source: Getty Images
FAQs
- Who is José Balmaceda Riera? José Balmaceda Riera is a Chilean reproductive endocrinologist and the father of actor Pedro Pascal.
- What is José Balmaceda Riera’s age? The Chilean fertility doctor is 77 years old as of 2026. He was born on 22 August 1948.
- José Balmaceda Riera’s parents? His parents were José Francisco Balmaceda Vergara and Juana (Juanita) Riera Bauzá.
- Where is Pedro Pascal's family from? The family is originally from Santiago, Chile.
- What was Pedro Pascal's dad accused of? In 1995, while working at the UC Irvine Centre for Reproductive Health, José was accused of stealing eggs and embryos from patients and implanting them in other women without consent.
- Who is José Balmaceda Riera’s wife? His wife was Verónica Pascal Ureta, a child psychologist.
- Why did Pedro Pascal's family leave Chile? They fled in 1975 to escape the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
- What happened to Pedro Pascal's mother? Verónica Pascal Ureta died in February 1999 at the age of 46, following the family’s return to Chile and her separation from José.
- Where does José Balmaceda Riera live now? He currently resides in Chile, where he has continued his medical career.
José Balmaceda Riera is a Chilean fertility doctor who raised his four children after moving to the United States in 1975 to escape the Pinochet dictatorship. Despite facing legal issues in the 1990s and the loss of his wife in 1999, he continued his work as a doctor and later returned to Chile. Today, he remains a supportive father, especially of his son Pedro Pascal’s success.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
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