The Last Of Us' Jeffrey Pierce, who plays Tommy in the video games but returns in the show as Perry, reviews Gabriel Luna's take on Joel's brother. Based on Naughty Dog's acclaimed PlayStation video games series, The Last of Us follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they embark on a dangerous journey across a post-apocalyptic version of the United States. The show has been a major hit in terms of viewership and has earned praise from audiences and critics alike for its strong writing, performances, and the ways in which it honors the original games.
In a recent interview with Vulture, Pierce shares his thoughts on Luna's portrayal of Tommy, a key supporting character from The Last of Us video games. Pierce has nothing but nice things to say about the new take on Tommy, explaining that Luna manages to honor what he and so many Naughty Dog developers were able to bring to life in the games while also breathing new life into the character and making it his own. Check out the actor's full comment below when asked what it was like to see a new actor take on the role:
“It was incredibly gratifying. I think that Gabriel did an amazing job of paying tribute to the character that we created for the games. When I say 'we,' I mean 50 people touched that role before I ever picked up a script and auditioned for it — and then after I left the stage, 200 or 300 people created Tommy’s performance. Gabriel came in and honored that performance, which is humbling. My daughter looked up at me and said, 'Dad, he sounds just like you!' [Laughs.] It’s like, yeah, he does, but then he brings all of himself and all of his life and history to it.”
How The Last Of Us TV Show Honors The Games
Studios have been trying to properly adapt video games into shows and movies for years, often with mixed or disappointing results. There are some inherent problems when it comes to adapting hit video games purely because of the stark differences between the storytelling styles of the two mediums. The Last of Us, however, manages to perfectly strike the balance between honoring its source material while also blazing some exciting new ground.
Thankfully, The Last of Us video games are very narrative-heavy, packed full of complex, interesting characters with a story expertly told with fluid gameplay and cutscenes. The TV show brings the video games' world to life with stunning accuracy, conveying the immense danger of the infected and humans alike. It even features some direct shot recreations from the games. Pascal's Joel and Ramsey's Ellie, as well, have the same great chemistry as the characters in the games, while also looking the part. The Last of Us also features a number of Easter eggs in every episode that only players of the games will catch.
That being said, The Last of Us also isn't afraid to be its own thing, in a certain sense. Instead of getting Pascal and Ramsey to copy the performances from the games, the actors are allowed to bring their own energy, charisma, and personalities to the performances, helping the dynamic between them to feel even more organic. The biggest strength of The Last of Us, really, is this ability to balance a clear love of the source material while not just delivering a carbon copy of what gamers have already seen, something that other video game adaptations could learn a thing or two from.
Source: Vulture