Performer playing Joel in The Last of Us games wouldn't want to play the character in the TV series: 'I like the new version'

Troy Baker voiced Joel in The Last of Us games but handed the role over to Pedro Pascal in the HBO series—taking on a completely different character, James, a member of the "devout" community.

In addition to his work on The Last of Us, Baker has lent his voice and likeness to characters in many mainstream games (from Uncharted 4, Marvel's Avengers, and Final Fantasy 13 to Death Stranding, Tales of Vesperia, and Bioshock Infinite). However, he is not at all interested in reprising his roles on the big screen or streaming platforms.

"I'm more interested in how someone new plays a role in a different medium. I prefer the new version rather than repeating my old one."

This attitude is partly explained by the fact that Baker feels comfortable in games, while adapting to a completely new environment in a series or film could be challenging.

"I love games; I understand them. But that doesn't mean that film or television doesn't attract me—I enjoyed working on the HBO project. However, when I portray a character in a game, I know how to do it and how to handle those resources," says Baker, hinting that everything on the show's set appears much more complex.

The actor mentions that in his gaming roles, he often finds himself alone in a studio booth, simply communicating with the developer over Zoom. In contrast, a movie set resembles a beehive—filled with hundreds of millions' worth of equipment and a multitude of crew members.

Not all fans of The Last of Us series were pleased with the choice of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey for the lead roles; at the same time, the creators of the show decided to make amends by giving game actors cameo roles. In addition to Baker as James, the series features Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie in the game, but plays her mother in the show.

Regarding the second season of The Last of Us, filming has currently wrapped, with a tentative premiere date set for the first half of 2025 (around the same time the game The Last of Us 2 will be released for PC). Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will reprise their roles as Joel and Ellie, while newcomers include Isabella Merced (Dina), Kaitlyn Dever—who interestingly resembles Ellie from the games and was campaigned for the role by fans when the adaptation idea emerged in the 2010s—as well as Yang Mazino (Jesse) and Jeffrey Wright, who will reprise his role as Isaac Dixon from the games.

HBO also introduced a new directing team joining the second season of The Last of Us, led by Mark Mylod, known for his work on Succession and Game of Thrones. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann remain the showrunners and executive producers of the series.

It’s worth noting that the first season, based on the events of the game The Last of Us released for PS3 in 2013, consisted of 9 episodes that consistently broke viewership records during broadcasts. Subsequently, The Last of Us was nominated for 24 Emmy awards and ultimately won 8 trophies. The show was renewed just two weeks after the last episode of the first season aired in March of last year. The second season will adapt the storyline of The Last of Us Part 2 and will follow the traumatic events at the Santa Barbara hospital but will consist of only 7 episodes.