Warning: spoilers ahead for The Last of Us episode 8.
Episode 8 of The Last of Us marked a moment that fans were waiting for in the TV show – the arrival of Troy Baker.
As anyone already familiar with the franchise will be aware, Troy portrayed Joel in the original video game, first playing the role a decade ago.
In the latest episode of the HBO series, he joins the cast as James, a comrade of David (Scott Shepherd), a preacher who’s harbouring a horrifying secret with his community.
Some viewers may have wondered why Troy didn’t end up playing Joel in the TV adaptation, with the role instead going to Pedro Pascal opposite Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
In a new interview, Troy explained that he never wanted to reprise the part, saying that it was as though his ‘watch has ended’.
‘I think this is important to speak to: There was never a moment where I wanted to play Joel,’ he told TVLine.
‘Just because it’s kind of like, my watch has ended. Selfishly, I wanted for them to pick somebody who would care about it as much as I did.’
Troy outlined how he wanted those who created the TV series to pick someone to play Joel who would ‘show me something new’ about the character, ‘something that I missed’.
‘Pedro does that every episode in some way, like whether it be in just a small choice that he makes as like, “Oh, man, that’s really good,” or in a delivery of a famous line or a familiar line that he does in a different way,’ he stated.
‘But for me, I was excited about being on the sidelines and in the stands as opposed to on the field.’
While James, Troy’s new character, does appear in the video game, he’s ‘nowhere near as visible’ than he is in the TV series, the actor said… who initially questioned who James was when he was offered the role.
‘So, for me to be able to have a role like this, it became this cool challenge. I’m like, “All right, how do we make this the story of James from my perspective, because I think we’re all the heroes of our own story,” and so, the first task was: “How do I not make him a villain?” And that’s just what I sought to do in every scene,’ he shared.
In the latest episode of The Last of Us, Ellie is captured by David and his cronies, before finding out that their community has turned to cannibalism in order to survive.
Ellie escapes by the skin of her teeth, killing James by stabbing him in the neck with a blade before also taking David’s life ahead of her emotional reunion with Joel.
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The Last of Us is available to watch on Sky and NOW with new episodes released on Mondays.
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MORE : Oscar-winning actor ‘almost played Joel in The Last of Us’ instead of Pedro Pascal
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