The amazing chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is the heart of The Last of Us, according to co-creator Craig Mazin. The two actors have a powerful dynamic that captures the intensity and depth of Joel (Pascal) and Ellie’s (Ramsey) relationship throughout the series. The story follows Joel, a hardened survivor tasked with protecting fourteen-year-old Ellie as they make their way across a post-apocalyptic America, destroyed by a fungal outbreak that wiped out most of the global population. The Last of Us captures the realities of survival and provides an immersive experience for viewers as they are thrown into this broken world alongside Joel and Ellie.

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Craig Mazin discussed the strong chemistry between the show’s stars in an interview with Screen Rant. He explained that he and Neil Druckmann, the creative director of the original video game, knew the relationship between Joel and Ellie would be crucial to the series’ success and that they wrote it into the script accordingly. Mazin also revealed that he knew Pascal and Ramsey would capture the characters’ essence and dynamic while working on the show and that their chemistry, both on and off set, was remarkable. He described their relationship as loving and supportive, with both actors looking up to and advocating for each other.

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“We didn’t have to find that chemistry. Neil and I understood the chemistry from a dramatic point of view. We poured all of that into the page. It obviously is all taken from Neil’s game. That’s why we’re all here, that relationship between Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us 2013. Awesome. So we know it. We feel it. We breathe it. We put it on the page. We find two actors that we know embody the spirit and soul of Joel and the spirit and soul of Ellie, and then we put Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey together and go, ‘I hope this works,’ because chemistry is chemistry. It’s a mystery.”

“I was directing that episode when they come together for the first time, and I just remember sitting back in my chair going, ‘We’re going to be okay.’ They just had something, and the chemistry that they have both on and off the set is remarkable. They are in love with each other in the most beautiful way. They take care of each other. I think that Bella looks up to Pedro and I think Pedro looks up to Bella, and they look out for each other, and they advocate for each other. Whenever I see them on these press things, they’re just always like, ‘Oh, God.’ It’s real. It’s real, and you can feel it all the way through.

Deeper Character Exploration in The Last of Us HBO Series

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Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin also discussed how the HBO series adaptation allowed them to delve deeper into characters beyond Joel and Ellie, which was not possible in the video game. Druckmann mentioned that he was excited to explore the character of David and a new character, Kathleen, who serves as the leader of the Hunters, a group of survivors in the game.

He also emphasized that there are no clear good guys or bad guys in The Last of Us, as all characters simply try to survive and live their lives to the fullest. Mazin added that the series allowed them to explore the motivations and perspectives of enemies, rather than just depicting them as evil people, and to avoid numbing viewers to violence by treating it seriously and asking why certain characters were considered enemies.

The series is also an excellent opportunity to further explore the character of Bill. The developers can make it clear whether he is gay, something implied in the game but never fully confirmed. The series could then use this as a way to delve deeper into his life and relationships outside of Ellie and Joel.

The Last of Us premieres on HBO on Jan. 15, 2023.