In order for HBO’s The Last of Us to work, the casting of series leads Joel and Ellie needed to be perfect. The entire plot of the video game to series adaptation hinges on the relationship between the grizzled and capable Joel and young spitfire Ellie as they journey across a post-apocalyptic America. It’s a difficult challenge, but one that HBO nailed by casting Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the starring roles.
Both performers have quite a history with HBO, having seen their careers explode thanks in part to landing roles on Game of Thrones. Pascal is now leading The Mandalorian and showing up in movies like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent alongside Nicolas Cage, while Ramsey nabbed the lead role in Amazon and Lena Dunham’s young adult comedy, Catherine Called Birdy. The Last of Us arrives on HBO with Thrones-like expectations, as the beloved franchise is widely considered a landmark in storytelling for the medium. But fans can rest assured the series is masterful in its adaptation due in part to just how superlative Pascal and Ramsey are in bringing the characters to life, finding the perfect middle ground between fulfilling the spirit of the game and putting their own unique spin on it.
Prior to the launch of the series, Complex sat down with both performers to talk about how the journey of the show reflected how they cultivated their relationship together, the tightness of the scripts, making bad puns, and more. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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The chemistry the two of you have is not only so good but so essential to making the show work. How much time did you both spend cultivating that relationship versus doing what was on the page?
Bella Ramsey: We spent zero time cultivating it. We cultivated it as the show went along because we didn’t have the time. Pedro was there for about a month before I was, and then when I got over there, I had to quarantine. So we didn’t get the chance to meet properly and bond. It just sort of happened as we got to set.
Pedro Pascal: Thank God.
BR: It’s an interesting parallel. Our friendship and relationship progressed as Joel and Ellie’s did, which I think actually lent itself to the result of their relationship. We immediately liked each other; we were just shy of each other. It’s like, “Is Pedro gonna like me? Is Bella gonna like me? Blah, blah, blah.” Turns out we do quite like each other.
