Fans of “The Last Of Us” have been waiting a long time for this: Episode 8 features the original Joel – especially as Ellie’s opponent

The characters in the “The Last Of Us” adaptation are (almost) all played by different actors and actresses than in the video game original, as they are probably not the ideal cast in terms of physique, age and/or live-action experience. for the Series (the only exception here is Merle Dandridge, who plays Firefly leader Marlene in both media).

Still, Last Of Us creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin wanted to pay tribute to the cast, who lent the voice and motion capture to the main characters in the game, in the series by casting them for supporting roles in episodes and beyond. also be involved. Already in episodes 4 and 5, the original Tommy Jeffrey Pierce appeared as Perry, the right-hand man of the unscrupulous Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). And in episode 8, there’s even the man who made his unmistakable mark on video game protagonist Joel: Troy Baker.

Troy Baker’s role in the series “Last Of Us”.

Even before the start of the series, it was clear from trailers and cast announcements that the original Joel Troy Baker was also part of the game, just not again as Joel, whose skin, famously, slips into the skin of “The Mandalorian” star Pedro Pascal. out. Instead of this Baker now stars as James in the Last Of Us adaptationa character who – unlike Jeffrey Pierce’s Perry – also appeared in the video game.

James is a confidant of the thoroughly charismatic but dangerous David (Scott Shepherd), whom Ellie meets in Episode 8 and goes to great lengths to help his community survive the harsh mushroom post-apocalypse. Without anticipating too much, at this point I can only reveal that both David and James are giving Ellie quite a bit. There’s an extra bitter note to this, of course, especially in the case of the latter, as Troy Baker as Joel in the game – like his live-action counterpart now – has still done everything he can to ensure Ellie’s safety.

Video game icon Troy Baker

The fact that Troy Baker stood in front of the camera for “The Last Of Us” is also special because you can count his previous live-action performances on one hand (and those were also rather low-budget productions). previous one is now seven years ago. Baker, who also works as a musician, is best known as a professional speaker.

In addition to his work for animated film and series productions, he has made a name for himself particularly in the video game sector, where he is one of the most sought-after artists in his field. He not only put the music to the main character in “The Last Of Us”, but also in the game hits “BioShock Infinite”, “Tales From The Borderlands” and “Mittelerde: Shadow of Mordor” (and its sequels) in the English original . Meanwhile, he starred in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and its spin-off Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (also from Last Of Us studio Naughty Dog) as the brother of Uncharted hero Nathan Drake, while making a lasting impression as the villain Higgs . in the exceptional game Death Stranding. And that’s just a fraction of the long list of Troy Baker’s video game parts.

Who doesn’t just love the 46-year-old with the distinctive, sonorous voice but also If you hear “The Last Of Us” talking, we recommend the official companion podcast for the series, where Baker talks to showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin each week about the current episode:

The grand finale of the first ‘Last Of Us’ season is also scheduled for next week, in which the original Ellie Ashley Johnson also performs the honors. You will discover what special role that will be when episode 9 appears on the Sky streaming service WOW on March 13, 2023.