HBO's hit series "The Last of Us" continues its second season run, and as the story unfolds, the production team has revealed a behind-the-scenes directive: co-creator Neil Druckmann asked the cast not to play the original game.
Young Mazino, known for his role in "Beef," recently revealed in an interview that upon learning of a suitable role for him in the second season, he immediately bought a used PS4 and quickly played through the game. However, he later discovered that "The Last of Us" co-creator Neil Druckmann actually preferred actors not to do so.
Druckmann explained to IndieWire that they asked many actors not to play the game because the performances in the game are already excellent, and they didn't want actors to imitate them, but rather to reinterpret the characters in their own way.
Druckmann emphasized that both the game and the series should be equally respected for their value, and thus he wanted the actors to retain their creative space. He cited Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, as an example, stating that Ashley Johnson created a perfect Ellie in the game, but they wanted to see Bella's version, which is why they cast truly talented actors.
Ramsey also revealed that she never actually played the game, but instead watched YouTube playthroughs to understand the character. She mentioned that she wasn't a gamer but was very grateful to those who recorded and shared their gameplay, saying they "saved" her. She added that this indirect exposure helped her develop her own interpretation.
Even though Young Mazino "jumped the gun" and played the game, he still successfully landed the significant role of Jesse in the second season. He admitted that portraying a character already deeply ingrained in the game's fanbase brought considerable pressure. He noted that while the game provided reference material, he would synthesize all available information to create an authentic, three-dimensional character.
via： IndieWire