Warning! This episode contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 4The Last of Us episode 4 introduces an iconic game actor in HBO's adaptation, though in a very different way to the original game. The Last of Us episode 4 takes Joel and Ellie to a brand-new location in Kansas City, meaning the show's most recent outing includes a lot of new characters. One of the ways The Last of Us episode 4 does this is through the Hunters, a faction of characters from the original game.
The Hunters are run by Kathleen, played by Melanie Lynskey, who serves as one of HBO's The Last of Us more important new characters. The Last of Us episode 4 ending introduces Henry and Sam, two characters who will be vital to Joel and Ellie's journey going forward. However, one of the other side characters in The Last of Us episode 4 on the side of the Hunters actually sees the return of an iconic game actor, only not in the same way he was used in the Last of Us game.
Original Tommy Actor Jeffrey Pierce Plays Perry In Last Of Us Episode 4
The character in question is Perry, the Hunters' second-in-command, who is played by Jeffrey Pierce. Jeffrey Pierce is the actor who provided the voice and motion-capture performance for Tommy Miller in the original The Last of Us game and its sequel. In HBO's adaptation, Tommy is played by Gabriel Luna, with Pierce being given the role of Perry. Unlike Merle Dandridge who plays Marlene in both the games and HBO's The Last of Us, Pierce is playing a different character than his original role.
In The Last of Us episode 4, Perry is seemingly responsible for the main military presence of the Hunters. His physical appearance alone confirms this, with Perry often wearing plenty of combat gear, from bulletproof vests and other tactical gear, to constantly wielding an assault rifle. Pierce plays the character with a quiet stoicism, compared to the determined desperation of Melanie Lynskey's performance as Kathleen. Pierce's inclusion as Perry allows this section of The Last of Us to have more weight than the original game, as he is both an original character and provides the Hunters with more depth than the game allowed for.
What Other Last Of Us Game Actors Are Yet To Appear In HBO’s Show?
Pierce playing Perry will not be the last time an actor from the original game will play a different character from their game counterpart, and will be similar to Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in the coming weeks. Baker and Johnson played Joel and Ellie in the original games, and will appear in HBO's The Last of Us in different roles. Baker will play James, a character from a group of survivors Joel and Ellie come into conflict with, while Johnson will play Anna, Ellie's mother.
Pierce marks the first inclusion of a game actor in a different role, setting the stage for Baker and Johnson. Out of all the game actors - besides Dandridge - it makes sense that Pierce, Baker, and Johnson are the three chosen to play different roles. Tommy, Joel, and Ellie are the main three characters of each The Last of Us game, meaning the actors' inclusion in The Last of Us - beginning with the Hunters - on HBO recognizes their importance to the source material. Hopefully, Pierce's Perry will receive much more development going into The Last of Us episode 5, where the Hunters will undoubtedly come into conflict with Joel and Ellie.
The Last of Us episode 5 will release on Friday, February 10th on HBO Max.