He was an unlikely hero, balding, paunchy and pasty-faced.
pasty-faced in American English
(ˈpeistiˈfeist)
adjective
having a pale, unhealthy, sallow complexion
an awkward, pasty-faced youth
Word origin
[1600–10]This word is first recorded in the period 1600–10. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: progressive, quarantine, setup, syndicate, umbrella