7 Original Game Actors Returning in HBO’s 'The Last of Us', Ranked

Long before its TV version came around at HBO, The Last of Us became a true phenomenon in the video game world, and it’s not only the storyline that got all the praise.

Fans have been vocal about the game’s perfect cast which at some point caused some major trouble for the HBO series, especially when it came to Bella Ramsey being chosen to play Ellie.

So far, there’s been a whole collection of notable returns in The Last of Us, so we break down which roles in the show went to the original video game’s actors.

7. Jeffrey Pierce — Perry

The Last of Us’ TV adaptation brings Tommy Miller’s actor back to the screen, but in a different role and for an obvious reason.

With Pierce having almost no resemblance to Pedro Pascal to portray his younger brother, the actor took a role of a villain instead, playing a loyal ally of Kathleen and helping her track down Sam and Henry in the show’s first season.

6. Merle Dandridge — Marlene

Having initially portrayed Marlene in the game, the actress reprised her role of the Fireflies leader in the HBO series, giving some extra depth to her character that wasn’t really explored by the game itself.

Since Marlene is one of Joel’s numerous victims during his raid on a hospital in season 1, she’s nowhere to be found afterwards, but the first instalment delves into her both personal and professional lives, showing her day-to-day life in the Boston quarantine zone and her friendship with Ellie’s mother Anna.

5. Misty Lee and Phillip Kovats — Clickers

If you feel disturbed every time an infected comes around in the show, it’s because the clicking sound they make went to the show directly from the game.

Since no one else can really imitate the eerie sound, the series’ creators made a wide decision to bring back Misty Lee and Phillip Kovats who voiced the infected monsters in the original game.

4. Laura Bailey — a Hospital Nurse in Season 1

The actress received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA award, when she gave her voice to Abby Anderson in The Last of Us’ video game, though she couldn’t reprise her role in the TV series just because of the age difference.

However, some fans could have noticed Bailey among the hospital staff in The Last of Us’ first season where Joel massacres everyone around to save Ellie from the most certain death.

Particularly, Bailey appears in the first instalment’s finale, portraying one of the nurses that have to witness Joel killing Abby’s father.

3. Jeffrey Wright — Isaac Dixon

The Hunger Games and American Fiction’s actor made quite a surprise for The Last of Us’ fans while reprising his role of the WLF leader Isaac Dixon in the show’s ongoing sophomore season.

Even though Wright is yet to show up in more of the upcoming episodes and most likely in season 3 as well, the HBO adaptation has already provided a major character update for Isaac, delving into his backstory and making things clear about his own struggles in a war between the WLF and the Seraphites.

2. Troy Baker — James

In the game, the actor portrays none other than Joel Miller, but at the time when the show started coming together Baker was still considered pretty young for the character whose role eventually went to Pedro Pascal.

The HBO series, however, makes a pretty drastic twist by turning Baker into one of the entire story’s biggest villains, seeing him as James, a right-hand man of cannibalistic pedophile David who tries to kill Ellie in season 1.

1. Ashley Johnson — Anna

Even though she does have lots of other prominent titles in her career, Johnson received much wider recognition thanks to the role of Ellie in The Last of Us’ video game.

Still, she couldn’t reprise her role in the show due to her being an actual adult, though she went on to portray Ellie’s mother Anna who gets beaten by an infected during her labor.