Though Troy Baker has become synonymous with his role as Joel Miller in the hit game series The Last of Us, his involvement in the critically-acclaimed HBO show was far from certain.
In an interview with IGN (see more here) about his role in the penultimate episode of Season 1, Baker revealed that it was “kind of a surprise” to him when he was asked to portray James, a part of a team of survivors that Joel and Ellie came across.
“It wasn’t concrete nor was it something I was actively pursuing,” he went on. “It was more like, ‘If you think I’d fit in, then I’m up for it. I’d be content just as a clicker.’ That would’ve been more than enough for me.”
It’s a good thing HBO didn’t take him up on that offer, however, since he conceded he would’ve made “a dreadful clicker, incidentally.” Still, when game engineer Neil Druckmann and headliner Craig Mazin visited Baker to offer him the part of James, he didn’t promptly acknowledge who they were alluding to, until he recalled “oh, right, pal, the person with the cap.”
Speculation surrounded the casting of the lead role for the production, as rumors abounded that Baker would be cast in the part of David, though ultimately the role was filled by Scott Shepherd.
“That would’ve been too overly contrived,” Baker intoned. “It would’ve been too unoriginal.”
Explore our unbiased analysis of HBO’s The Last of Us with our spoiler-free Season 1 review. No plot points revealed, just an in-depth look into the gripping drama.
Matt Kim lent a hand in the formulation of this verdict.
Alex Stedman is a top-level News Editor for IGN, managing the entertainment beat. When she’s not crafting or editing words, you may catch her delving into fantasy literature or gaming with Dungeons & Dragons.
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