Many people are celebrating The Last Of Us today, as the legendary game from Naughty Dog has turned ten years old. Due to this, many are reminiscing about the various influences that the game has had on the gaming culture and beyond. Easily one of its biggest impacts was getting HBO to do a live-action adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay as Joel and Ellie, respectively. The show was a ratings hit, and the second season was approved after only one episode. Many even think that Pascal and Ramsay will get Emmy nominations for their roles. However, a certain someone hasn’t watched the full season.
In a special interview coordinated by Variety, Pedro Pascal talked with Steven Yuen for an “Actors on Actors” talk about their various roles and lives in the spotlight. For Pascal, he admitted to Yeun that he had no idea the show that he was reading scripts for was originally a video game. He even noted that his nephews called him out on that and said he was an idiot for not knowing.
We forgive you, Pedro. But in another part of the interview, Pascal admitted he hadn’t watched the season finale because it was too much for him right now:
“I haven’t seen it I saw it all up until then. I haven’t done anything for that amount of time before, and so my attachment to the experience is strange. As a guy who’s pushing 50, to feel this very innocent, semi-angry, emotional attachment to an experience that’s over … It continues, but there will never be another meeting Bella for the first time, working with Craig, with the entire crew, with my friend Coco, who did my hair, and the whole family experience of it. I think it was like falling in love, and at the point where you’re like, I don’t fall in love. You know? Because it hurts too much.”
Undoubtedly, The Last of Us was a draining show to film for multiple reasons. First, the content is incredibly dark due to the world the show is based in. Second, the character of Joel is a very complex figure and has to show off a range of emotions to help sell the scenes. Third, some weather conditions they filmed in weren’t easy, including being in the freezing snow for a key episode.
But as gamers know, if he’s having trouble finishing season 1, then just wait until they release season 2, as that’s even darker.