Yeah "breakout" wasn't the best choice of word for the title (especially since most folks on this subreddit are just going to read the headline), but the article does talk about the other major roles he has been in, how successful those shows/his roles were, how it increased his fame, presently culminating with The Last Of Us and The Mandalorian.

I think what the author is trying to say by "breakout" is twofold. First, that Pedro Pascal is the first standout actor so far of this year, 2023. One could say Adam Scott was a "breakout star" of 2022 because of his incredible starring role in Severance (although that wasn't as widely watched). Or Jennifer Coolidge, bc of her role in The White Lotus and personality.

Second, Pascal is very much an actor/celebrity "of the pop cultural moment," not only with starring roles in two major tv series connected to major franchises but also a huge, dedicated fan following that goes beyond his acting performances to his personality, a fanbase that only intensified with his role in The Mandalorian and now The Last Of Us. This certainly isn't the first time he has had a media/cultural moment - I know he did a lot of major interviews and such during Narcos and The Mandalorian. But Pascal is once again having a moment, and it feels especially zeitgeist-y and meme-y, as reflected and reinforced by his hosting SNL. And being a guest on Graham Norton.

Finally, as I said, the release of The Last Of Us and the third season of The Mandalorian at the same time feels like a culmination of success from an actor who has progressively acted in bigger and bigger roles since Game of Thrones. I mean, how many actors are starring in not one but TWO of the biggest, most popular series connected to two unrelated major franchises - Star Wars and The Last Of Us video game - which are being released at the same time.

Anyway, I thought the article was a surprisingly well-researched - yet brief - biographical profile of an actor...and without a mention of "internet daddy" lol