The Last Of Us star Pedro Pascal recalls initially being nervous to take on the role of Joel because of how much people loved the games. Premiering earlier this year on HBO, The Last of Us tells the story of Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), two survivors in a world overridden by a deadly fungal infection that turns humans into zombie-like creatures. The show is an adaptation of the best-selling and acclaimed PlayStation video games from Naughty Dog.
In a recent interview with THR, Pascal reveals that playing Joel in The Last of Us came with a lot more pressure than he was used to. Due to the games already being so beloved, the actor explains, he knew he had a lot to live up to. Check out Pascal's full comment below:
“Totally scary. And it’s that funny thing of compartmentalizing your feelings about stuff and dealing with the amount of pressure on you. I have this psychological game where I’m like, ‘It’s no big deal, nobody cares, nobody gives a s--t.’
“But this time around, I was scared. I was so scared. Because there was more of an exposed silhouette, a silhouette of coolness maybe, and an expectation to be met as far as what people’s immersive experience of the story was. And to disappoint them in that regard felt like it would be … I don’t know. You don’t want to let people down, but also nobody’s impervious to disappointing people. I want people to like me.”
Pedro Pascal Is The Perfect Joel In The Last Of Us
The key to any good adaptation is capturing what worked well about the source material without just delivering a one-to-one copy. HBO's The Last of Us nails this, becoming a powerful storytelling venture in its own right while honoring the games and weaving a familiar tale. While Joel from the games was a beloved character, Pascal's Joel manages to feel similar and yet still distinct, with the actor truly making the role his own.
The key to Joel in both versions of The Last of Us is really his dynamic with Ellie and his tragic backstory that defines his life in the present. Joel and Ellie's shared story is part of what makes the game and the show so effective, with Joel finding a surrogate daughter after he loses his own and Ellie finding a surrogate father after having her family taken from her as well. Both Ramsey and Pascal deliver versions of their characters that are slightly different from the games, but its their relationship and on-screen chemistry that anchors the show.
Dramatically, The Last of Us asks a lot of its two lead performers, but both actors are more than up for the task. Pascal's Joel is world-weary and guilt-ridden, so determined to protect Ellie and avoid repeating his past mistakes that he's literally willing to risk the fate of the entire human race if it means she gets to survive. It remains to be seen how Joel will continue to evolve in The Last of Us season 2, but Pascal is evidently more than up for the task.
