The Last Of Us Creators Explain Why Merle Dandridge Is The Only Actor To Reprise Her Role From The Game
HBO's "The Last of Us" was crafted by many of the same talented artists who worked on the original video games. From composer Gustavo Santaolalla to director Neil Druckmann, the story of Joel and Ellie mattered so much to them, they felt it necessary to work on the show as well, if only so as to better ensure its creative integrity. For the most part, though, the TV show understandably went with actors more experienced with live-action than the skilled motion-capture and vocal performers who worked on the games. That is, with exceptions like Merle Dandridge, who plays Marlene in the "Last of Us" games and has since reprised her role for the HBO series (a rarity among video game adaptations).
Dandridge isn't the only actor returning from the games, mind you, but she is the only one reprising her role. As the leader of the Fireflies, Marlene tasks Joel with transporting Ellie in the series' first episode. While her role isn't as prominent as others in the game, it's nonetheless critical to the world of the show and the lynchpin that sets off the massive journey at its center. What's more, Druckmann and co-creator Craig Mazin felt that having Merle reprise Marlene made the most sense for their series — although that doesn't, per se, mean there wouldn't be space for other "Last of Us" video game actors to make the jump to the screen in the future.
'She does have this wonderful gravitas'
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Craig Mazin talked about the show's cast and got into the specifics of what made the creator bring Merle Dandridge back to play Marlene in the series. While Mazin would point out that the character of Marlene looked "more weathered and [had] a little more grey in her hair" than Dandridge, it wasn't an issue that makeup and hairstyling couldn't fix. All these years after the original game, Mazin and Neil Druckmann believed she was still the best actor for the role. Mazin added:
"She's also eternally youthful. It's 10 years later [after the first game's debut], and she does have this wonderful gravitas. So it was really a question of, 'Hey, if we just wig her, I think we're there.' That was an easy one. It's obviously not anything we could contemplate with, say, Troy Baker."
Troy Baker, Joel's voice and motion capture actor in the "Last of Us" games, ended up not reprising his role simply because, as Mazin noted, he is "so physically different from Joel." Instead, Pedro Pascal would take over the character's mantle in live-action, bringing the intimidating stature and physicality required for the character. However, per EW, Baker will portray James, a survivor seen briefly in the winter portion of the first game, who will have a more significant part to play in the series. Clearly, Mazin and Druckmann have only love and respect for the actors that came before, giving them opportunities to explore the world in new and exciting ways.
Creating 'a dramatic genetic connection'
Ashley Johnson, whose performance as Ellie is at the heart of he first two "Last of Us" games, also found herself playing a whole new role for the HBO series. For Craig Mazin, it wasn't about putting in Easter eggs just for the sake of it. Bringing in critical actors from the video games was done to create something with an emotional resonance that both fans old and new could enjoy, all while creating a link to the games that had real depth behind it:
"Ashley Johnson is in her 30s and clearly not going to play a 14-year-old girl, but it was important for us to find space for them [in the show] because they matter. It's not just about fan service. It's a dramatic genetic connection between the game and the show. They needed to be there."
According to EW, Johnson will play Anna, a "pregnant woman alone and on the run." Hardcore fans of "The Last of Us" will recognize that name, as it's the same name signed in a letter to Ellie from her mother in the games. When you put the pieces together, it's easy to conclude that Johnson will play Ellie's mother in the show. There's something poetic about the actor who originally played Ellie in the games playing her mother in HBO's adaptation, creating the deep connection Mazin was looking for. As the rest of the series unfolds, it will be exciting to see actors from the games leave a new mark on the franchise with their newfound live-action roles.
New episodes of "The Last of Us" air Sundays on HBO.