The Shocking Real Ages of The Last of Us Actors Revealed - You Won't Believe the Difference!

Summary

Pedro Pascal excellently portrays Joel despite the age difference, bringing depth to the character in The Last of Us HBO series.

Bella Ramsey brings a youthful energy to Ellie in an incredible performance.

The Last of Us season 1 had to keep in mind that season 2 will involve a five-year time jump based on the games.

The Last of Us HBO series effectively brings the beloved characters from the video game to life, with actors who accurately portray them despite age differences. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has caused cities to be quarantined, leaving the land in between lawless and dangerous, the series follows Joel and Ellie as they journey across the United States, facing various forms of infection and encountering other survivors.

While the captivating premise plays a part in the series' appeal, the strong attachment to the game primarily stems from its well-developed characters. The deep bond between Joel and Ellie, resembling that of a found family, is a cherished companionship in the gaming community, and a faithful portrayal on television was crucial for the series' success. Although the main focus lies on the two leads, side characters are also important and have been well-cast to align with their video game counterparts. The ages of The Last of Us cast in the series reflect their ages as of the show's release in January 2023.

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10 Pedro Pascal (47) As Joel (56)

Despite the significant age difference, the casting of Pedro Pascal as Joel for the HBO adaptation proved to be a major triumph. The TV series diverged from the video game's timeline, altering the outbreak year from 2013 to 2003. Although the show's events still take place twenty years after the outbreak, they now occur in 2023 instead of 2033. To bridge the twenty-year gap between Joel's past and present, the character was aged up to 56. Pedro Pascal, at 47 years old, falls right in the middle of the 36-year-old and 56-year-old versions of Joel, enabling him to convincingly portray both.

9 Bella Ramsey (19) As Ellie (14)

Bella Ramsey brilliantly portrayed Ellie in The Last of Us season 1, defying the character's age difference. Ramsey's portrayal exudes youthful energy, while her older age makes her capable of reprising the character in season 2, which takes place after a five-year time jump. The second game's narrative progression will be mirrored in the series. Bella Ramsay's casting took into account The Last of Us season 2's future, enabling a seamless transition to an older version of Ellie without the need for a five-year hiatus between seasons.

8 Storm Reid (19) As Riley (16)

Introduced late in season 1 through Ellie's flashbacks, Riley is a significant character in The Last of Us game. The DLC delves into the deep bond between Ellie and Riley, while the show portrays Riley at the age of 16, the same age as Ellie. This creates a crucial but subtle age difference between them, with Riley's slightly older age and maturity leading Ellie to admire her. Storm Reid, the actress who played Riley, was 19 when the series was released, slightly older than her character.

7 Merle Dandridge (47) As Marlene (40s)

6 Gabriel Luna (40) As Tommy (50-51)

Merle Dandridge adeptly embodies the character of Marlene in both The Last of Us game and TV series, flawlessly portraying the leader of the Fireflies and serving as a key supporting role in season 1. In the game, Marlene's age is established in her 40s, which perfectly aligns with the age of the talented actress, solidifying her suitability for the role. Although the TV series omits her age specification, the casting choice of Merle Dandridge to portray both iterations of Marlene leaves little room for debate.

In a similar vein to Joel, Gabriel Luna takes on the role of a younger version of himself in The Last of Us. In episode 4 of the HBO series, Joel reveals that Tommy joined the army and fought in the Gulf War when he was just 18 years old. This would suggest that Tommy was born in either 1972 or 1973, making him approximately 50 years old, a decade older than the actor portraying him. The exact age of Tommy is not specified in the games.

5 Anna Torv (43) As Tess (Late 30s/Early 40s)

4 Lamar Johnson (28) As Henry (20s)

: Tess is a significant character in the early stages of the series, regarded by Joel as family. While her age in the game version is specified as 51, the television adaptation of The Last of Us does not disclose Tess' age. However, in episode 2, it is revealed that Tess was previously married and had a son before the outbreak, suggesting she was at least 18 years old at that time. Based on available information, it is reasonable to estimate Tess' age to be similar to Anna Torv, the actress portraying her in the show, who was 43 when season 1 was released.

In The Last of Us series, Henry and Sam are introduced in Kansas City. Henry, who is described as being 25 years old in the game, plays the role of the older brother and caretaker to Sam. It is important to note that Henry was a small child when the outbreak occurred, and his younger brother was born years later. While the series does not specify Henry's age, the games provide additional information about his age and life before the outbreak. In the HBO series, Henry is portrayed by Lamar Johnson, who is 28 years old.

3 Keivonn Woodard (10) As Sam (8)

2 Nick Offerman (52) As Bill (Late 40s/Early 50s)

Sam was introduced as a tender-hearted character in season 1, being born into a world gripped by the Cordyceps outbreak. In the show, the age of the character was lowered to 8 years old, in contrast to the game where Sam is depicted as 13. Despite his youth, Sam's innocence and kind nature make him a deeply sympathetic figure. The role of Sam was portrayed by the talented child actor Keivonn Woodard, who was just 10 years old when the show premiered. Woodard's exceptional performance in his limited screen time truly shines through.

Bill's age and origins remain unexplored in the game, despite the TV adaptation shedding some light on his youth. Unfortunately, no specific date of birth has been disclosed for the character. However, it is reasonable to speculate that Bill is approximately the same age as Nick Offerman, who portrays him. At the time of The Last of Us, Offerman was 52 years old. Assuming that Bill was already an established adult with a home and life before the outbreak, one can infer that he would be around 50 years old in 2023.

1 Murray Bartlett (51) As Frank (Late 40s/Early 50s)

Frank's storyline underwent significant expansion in HBO's The Last of Us series, where he is notably absent from the game. In episode 3, Frank is introduced through flashback sequences, which shed light on his former life as an artist residing in Baltimore during the outbreak. It is implied that Frank is roughly the same age as Bill, suggesting that he would be around 50 years old in 2023. This aligns well with Murray Bartlett's age, who was 51 when filming for season 1 of The Last of Us took place.