Pedro Pascal is a Chilean-born actor who has been working in the industry since the mid-90s. He even had a guest starring role on Buffy the Vampire Slayer back in the day. Despite this, most people didn't know who he was until he scored the role of a lifetime on Game of Thrones, where he played the rogueish Prince Oberyn of Dorne. His charming, seductive performance won over viewers immediately, even amongst fans who bemoan the entire Dorne storyline. Comparisons were made to Mandy Patinkin's winning performance as Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, and he quickly became a fan favorite, so much so that viewers wondered if the show might deviate from the books in regards to his character arc given his sudden popularity. It's crazy to think that a character on the show for less than one season could supplant long-established characters on the short-list for most popular, but maybe that's not giving Pascal's charisma enough credit. Oberyn's smoldering good looks and fluid sexuality are able to seduce pretty much everyone on the show, so we don't see why the audience would fare any differently.