HBO’s The Last Of Us adaptation is undoubtedly going to be one of 2022’s hottest programs, both for fans of the game franchise and even for mass market consumers. Often, one of the points of contention for the gaming community, when a game gets some form of adaptation for either television or the silver screen, is around the level of knowledge and experience those portraying the key roles have with the subject matter itself. With a franchise as acclaimed as Naughty Dog’s The Last Of Us, that heated conversation only amplifies further, and the questions quickly get asked of the series’ two lead actors, Pedro Pascal (Joel), and Bella Ramsey (Ellie).
In April, Pascal spoke of why he only lightly dabbled with The Last Of Us‘ games before assuming the role of Joel in the adaptation, saying, “[I] got worried that I would want to imitate too much, which I think could be right in some circumstances, and then a mistake in others.” We’d not heard as much from Ramsey on the matter up until this point, but now she’s spoken up. In a chat with USA Today, Ramsey spoke about her experiences with the game, and how she was encouraged not to play it first. When asked whether she had played the games at all, Ramsey replied,
I was actually encouraged not to. After my first audition, they asked me, “Have you played it?” And I said, “Nope,” and they said, “Keep it that way.” (Laughs.) I did watch some of the game play on YouTube just to get a sense of it. But I’m so excited for it to come out – it was such a big part of my life. I shot for a whole year, which is quite a long time when you’ve only lived for 19 years. Pedro wrote a little card to me at the end, saying, “How interesting that something so huge and life-changing should happen so early in your life and so late in mine.” I thought it was a really sweet observation and I just had the best time.
In a recent interview with the BBC, Ramsey also stated, sharing further insight into the reasoning behind not playing the games first
They didn’t want me to copy Ashley Johnson’s iconic version, but bring a fresh perspective, I suppose. I think it will hopefully feel familiar to fans. But without being an exact replica.
Ramsey rose to prominence due to her role as Lyanna Mormont in another HBO show, the acclaimed Game Of Thrones. Since then her rise has continued to be dramatic, culminating in the role as Ellie in the adaptation of the PlayStation classic title, which has itself seen a more controversial PS5 remake release in early September. The Last Of Us TV adaptation will purportedly follow the arc of the original game, exploring the growing relationship of Joel and Ellie as they navigate a pandemic-stricken world following the emergence of a deadly virus.
The Last Of Us‘ television adaptation launches on HBO on an undetermined date in 2023.
