‘The Last of Us’ voice actor Troy Baker on the joy of being part of the TV series: ‘I thought I was going to be a clicker, this is an upgrade’

DEVASTATION WARNING: The story describes episode 8 of HBO The last of us.

In the penultimate episode of HBO’s record-breaking horror drama the last of us Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) last hope for survival is tested. Still suffering from Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) serious injury that left him incapacitated for weeks, Ellie scrambles to find essentials and protect her hideout. Searching for food, she meets a group of survivors led by a pious man named David (Scott Shepherd), who offers a hospitable community, supplies and shelter. Ellie must then decide if David’s offer is genuine or too good to be true.

In keeping with the show’s ability to expand on the video game’s source material, we meet a brand new character named James, a member of David’s clan, played by prolific voice actor Troy Baker, who reprises the role of Joel Miller himself .

Here, Baker breaks down the nuances of his character’s psyche, working with Bella Ramsey and the cultural relevance of The last of us.

Reporter: This year it is the 10th^e Anniversary of The Last of Us video game, along with the third anniversary of the game’s sequel. Given that you dreamed up the role of Joel, arguably one of the most iconic characters in video game history, what was it like for you to return to that world?

TROY BAKER: I feel like I’ve never been away. And I kind of knew that would be the case as soon as I “met” him. Anthony Hopkins tells this wonderful story when he first read the script silence of the lambs. He got to about page 10 and put it down because he was afraid he wouldn’t get the part, and I’ve seen that happen before. As an actor, when you get a chance to audition or meet, you want to take it because the artist’s situation is always financial and all you want is a job. But some roles come your way that just feel inherently special. And that was it, I’ve always been a fan of Naughty Dog and what they did, especially with that one Not mapped series, so the chance to be part of something new was very attractive.

I climbed into Joël and discovered what I believe was a secret that no one else knew. I have been part of this world for over ten years. And I didn’t just play the game, I accepted it well. You never know if [a project] will be as good as you hope, but it was, and then it comes out into the world and it just explodes and becomes this phenomenon. It talks to people in a new way that we haven’t seen in games before. And then, eight years later, suddenly before that [Neil Druckmann] to say, “We’re going to do a show” is just so surreal. Every time they let me do something, I feel happy. If I get a seat at the table, I am grateful.

But when Neil and Craig came to me with this role, they said, “How would you like to play James?” And I said, “Oh my God. Thanks guys. Who is James? [Laughs]. But the beauty of this story is that we can zoom in and expand on some characters that may have been overlooked. It’s about enriching the story, not replacing it. So for me, James plays into it, “Yeah, it’s a unique opportunity for me to see this world in a whole new way.”

Reporter: Let’s get into it. How did this original role come about? Did Neil and Craig ask you beforehand if you wanted to play a low-key villain? And what went through your mind when you were offered this role?

BAKER: It wasn’t even that. Neil was hesitant about this potential role. He said, ‘Well, we have a character in mind for you if you’re interested. If you’re not interested, that’s perfectly fine.” And I was like, “Man, if there’s anything for me…” See, I thought I was going to be a clicker. So this is an upgrade. [Laughs]. I was so happy. And when I read the script to James, I was like, “Okay, that’s a good challenge.”

I like playing a villain to show you he’s not the villain. Because if I can get you to like him for a second, you’ll hate him even more when I have to. Well, I like this dance; it talks to me When it got to James, I was like, ‘How can we not make him an accomplice? How can we not just make him this “Brawler A” of David and make sure he has an actual role in the story? And for me it’s about understanding that every character we meet in this story is in some way a reflection of Joel and/or Ellie.

David [is a reflection of Joel. It is the wrong side of the coin because here’s someone who is looking out for those that he cares about and is willing to do whatever it takes to do that. So is Joel. Maria [Rutina Wesley] is one of my favorite counterpoints to Joel because you see a parent who lost their son within days of Joel losing Sarah [Nico Parker]. And what does she look like 20 years later? She is still a mother. She still cuts Ellie’s hair and she hasn’t given up and given up her role as a parent. Look at Bill and how he differs from Joel and what he can teach Joel. So all these characters serve as a counterpoint in a way. So to me James was a good guy and this world was hard for him too. And if you look at these people, they came here from what they thought was going to be the promised land, and they had a harsh winter that made them the worst versions of themselves. And I think this episode is a good lesson to learn that we are all just one bad day away from being the worst version of ourselves, at least to some extent.

Reporter: Something unique about your portrayal of James here is that although he belongs to David’s sect and listens to his openly fanatical ideas, there is still uncertainty about his loyalty. It seems that James still has remnants of a moral center. How much of that was intentional in your performance to create that nuanced dynamic?

BAKER: For me, I definitely thought, ‘If he doesn’t have a moral center, then he’s just not interesting. He’s just boring,” and I know James would love to be David’s right-hand man. Not because he admires or respects him, but because he understands who he is. David is the devil and I definitely want to be on the right side of the devil and not on the wrong side. So that’s where James positions himself and there comes a girl who can fill that position fully and that’s what James types in David. David sees an equal in Ellie and that’s what he wants. And James knows he never will be.

There is the line “You have a violent heart” which James does not have. Since he was going to shoot the horse, he would stop the girl, but when it came to pointing a gun at a scared 14-year-old girl lying in the snow, James choked and someone had to push him, but he still didn’t want to [commit the violent act]. And not because he is afraid of getting into trouble with David; it’s because he still has a moral center at the end.

I think what James realizes is that we have seen people like David throughout history [used religion] to dominate and oppress people. And this is not meant to be a snide remark to someone who has faith, because I think hope and belief in something is one of the most powerful things we have. Depriving people of all tangible things like food, shelter and warmth leaves only the intangible things like hope, faith and belief and these are the three weapons that David uses against these people. So when you see James looking away from this decision that David makes to dump this girl in his lap, these are the things that he claims, “Well, maybe it’s God’s will,” but ultimately it comes down to, “She is just one more mouth to feed.” He appeals to David’s ego and his tricks, but I don’t think James believes it for a second. His mindset is more like, “Whatever gets us through the winter, whatever brings us into our true promised land, that’s what I do.” I’m ready to do it.”

Reporter: There are so many intense scenes in this episode, but more specifically I’m thinking of Ellie’s interrogation in the jail cell, where David essentially decides to kill her for her stubbornness and James steps in to help. Can you talk to me about working with Bella Ramsey at this time?

BAKER: Here is something that people will never see, that exists only for my own benefit and I love and hate them because they are so talented; it’s scary. So, Ellie is in this cage, and that scene was cut because we didn’t need it. David has this conversation with Ellie, and then he’s interrupted by my role. James walked in and asked, “Can I have a minute?” And David said, “Yes.” So David goes, and in that scene that’s not written at all, I just give in [fierce] Hounds on Ellie. And everyone [take], it became this war without words to see who would win this short sparring. And every time Ellie wins. I’m selfishly excited for people to see me in this episode, but I think I’m most excited to see this episode where Bella actually gets to bend down and show you Exactly what Bella Ramsey is capable of, and it’s terrifying. [Laughs].

Reporter: As the show nears its end, have you noticed anything surprising about how people are responding to the series so far?

Everything was surprising, because none of it was expected. It was hoped and wished that this thing would find a new audience. Neil really helped me with that because I was against the idea of ​​the show. I thought, “Why don’t you just leave it as a game?” And Neil says, “Because I think this story is good enough for people who would never pick up a controller to know, and we need to bring that story to them.” And when you see the dedication, both Neil and Craig have skill and stamina [Mazin], the producers and crew all paid dividends in fan art, social media posts and the tears beyond belief. It was the most surprising thing to see the reaction of this show from people. Because once you do, man, it’s a miracle. And to be able to do this successful thing twice, we just kept climbing mountains, and the fact that we’re here now on this new one is truly a miracle.

The last of us airs every Sunday on HBO.

[This interview has been edited for length and clarity]