The casting process for The Last of Us proved to be a tumultous one for HBO.
For the lead characters of Joel and Ellie, hundreds of actors were reportedly considered before Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey were eventually selected. For Ramsey, in particular, the online trolls were out in full force, criticising the casting decision as the actress does not look exactly like the the video game version of Ellie.
Ramsey admits she initially read the scathing comments online, telling the New York Times:
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had a negative reaction to something.
“There would be times I’d find it funny. Then I’d get to the end of a 10-minute scrolling session, put my phone down and realize: Maybe that was a bad idea.”
Ramsey, who has been acting since the age of 11, found major fame with a role in Game of Thrones before appearing in projects like Catherine Called Birdy and His Dark Materials.
The 19-year-old admits that she only now feels comfortable in the role of Ellie, but the feeling may be temporary once the trolls start attacking again.
“It’s only recently that I’ve accepted I am Ellie, and I can do it, and I am a good actor,” she said.
“But this will last for a few weeks and then I’ll think I’m terrible again. That’s just the process.”
The Last of Us trailer
The Last of Us is based on the popular video game of the same name which tells the story of Joel and Ellie who must travel across a post-apocalyptic United States.
The world has been ravaged by a mutant Cordyceps fungus which turns humans into cannibalistic monsters, while Joel and Ellie must also deal with other humans who will do anything to ensure their own survival.
The Last of Us is considered one of the best video games of all time and won various Game of the Year awards after being released in 2013.
A sequel, The Last of Us: Part II was released in 2020.
Two movie adaptations were initially planned but went into development hell, which resulted in a television series being announced in March of 2020.
Around a year later, it was confirmed that Pascal and Ramsey would take on the lead roles of Joel and Ellie, whose voices were provided in the game by Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson respectively.
Other actors involved in the series are Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartless, Nick Offerman, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Storm Reid, Graham Greene and Elaine Miles.
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