Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the hit series The Last Of Us has opened up about one of the most important decisions when it comes to casting for season two.
A social media user said: “We don’t know how many years there are between The Last of Us and the Last of Us 2, but Ellie was noticeably older in TLOU2. They will just have to do Bella Ramsey’s makeup to make her look a little older.”
“She will look way to young,” another wrote.
Scroll on to find out more.
Despite the comments, it seems that Ellie won’t be recast.
This comes after many fans questioned whether Ellie would be re-cast considering the time jump.
Now, although it’s now come to an end, fans have been applauding The Last Of Us since since it first appeared on TV…
Praising everything from the writing to the cast’s stellar performances.
The HBO Max series, which is the first live-action adaptation since the video game stunned audiences back in 2013…
Initially came out at the beginning of the year.
The series, like the games, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity have been turned into cannibals by an uncontrollable fungus infestation that eats brains.
It was an instant success.
And the cast have blown fans away with their accuracy to the original characters.
Pedro Pascal in particular has been praised for his portrayal of Joel.
However, Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey left a few people concerned, especially when it comes to casting for the second season.
And now the creators have opened up about what they’re planning for her character in the next series.
Before we get into it, lets take a look at the star of the show…
José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal was born 2nd April, 1975.
He’s from Santiago, Chile, and actually has old relatives in the Chilean Socialist party!
However, instead of following in their footsteps, Pedro was destined for a life on screen.
His family were moved to Denmark for political sanctuary when Pedro was just nine months old.
Pedro then grew up in the USA.
Living in both Orange County, California, and San Antonio, Texas.
As a child, Pedro was a talented swimmer.
He even reached state championships in Texas at the age of 11!
But the call of the limelight was too strong.
And he decided to swap swimming laps for treading the boards, taking a keen interest in drama.
He pursued acting at the Orange County School of the Arts and graduated in 1993.
Pedro then attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated in 1997.
In tribute to his mom, Pedro starting using her last name professionally.
And thus, Pedro Pascal was born!
Pedro started his career with many small roles in major TV series.
Including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Good Wife, Homeland, The Mentalist, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Graceland.
However, his big break came in 2013.
He was cast as Oberyn Martell in HBO’s smash hit, Game of Thrones!
Pedro was already a big fan of the series, and was thrilled to join it.
And although (spolier alert!) his character didn’t last for very long, Pedro made an undoubtale impact on the franchise.
Since then, his career has gone from strength to strength.
In 2015, Pedro has the major role of U.S. DEA agent Javier Peña in the Netflix original show Narcos.
Plus, in the 2015 movie, Bloodsucking B*stards, Pascal portrayed the vampire Max.
And, of course, since 2019, Pascal has portrayed the title role in The Mandalorian.
He was also inducted into the DC Extended Universe playing Maxwell Lord in film Wonder Woman 1984.
But this year, there’s been a brand new reason why Pedro Pascal is the name on everyone’s lips.
The Last of Us, of course!
His role as Joel Miller in the video game adaptation drama has earned him near-universal praise.
But his acting chops isn’t the only reason the internet is absolutely in love with Pedro Pascal.
He just generally seems to be an all around brilliant human being!
One thing that’s captured the internet’s hearts is his relationship with sister, actor and activist Lux.
Lux is a trans woman, and Pedro regularly speaks out in support of trans issues.
In fact, Pascal is known for being an all-around ally.
The Last of Us hit headlines for its LGBTQ storylines – and it’s clear that’s something Pedro was in full support of.
When asked questions about “why it’s so important that LGBTQ+ characters are on TV shows” he responded “you should know why.”
Watch the sweet moment here.
He even spends time taking down homophobes and transphobes on Twitter!
We should all be more like Pedro Pascal.
Pedro’s general demeanor is another reason fans are obsessed with him.
He’s always fun, hilarious, and up for having a joke.
No wonder his interviews always go viral!
Remember this wonderful moment, when he admitted he looks up fan comments to cheer himself up?
But there is one aspect of Pedro’s life he seems to keep quite private.
His relationship status!
But surprisingly, there have been a whole host of A-Listers in Pedro’s dating past.
So, let’s get into it, shall we?
Maria Dizzia – 1990s
Pedro and Maria were allegedly dating in the ’90s, though neither party has ever fully confirmed it.
The pair did end up working together on an episode of Law & Order that aired in 2008 – awkward.
Since then, Dizzia and married writer Will Eno, and the pair share a child.
Lena Headey – 2014
After the pair starred as mortal enemies on Game of Thrones, the real-life counterparts were romantically linked.
Lena shared a now-deleted snap of her and Pedro snuggling in April 2014.
Even including the caption “Sunshine love.” How cute!
And in February 2015 when Lena announced she was pregnant fans even suspected that Pedro could be the father.
Obviously, this wasn’t the case, and Headey confirmed that her then-boyfriend, filmmaker Dan Cadan, was her baby daddy.
Lena gave birth to her daughter Teddy in July 2015 and also has a son Wylie, born March 2010, with her first husband, musician Peter Loughran.
She also married her second husband, actor Marc Menchaca in October 2022.
Robin Tunney – 2015-2019
Pedro and Robin were photographed together while in Hollywood in July 2015 after working together on The Mentalist.
They even attended the HBO’s 2015 Emmy Awards Afterparty together.
But the pair have not been seen togther since 2019.
At the moment, it looks as though Pedro is single.
Although we are sure he’s not short of offers!
But recently Pedro faced some controversy.
It follows reports that Bella Ramsey’s Last of Us pay was only 12 percent of what co-star Pedro Pascal earned.
Pedro Pascal allegedly made $600,000 for each of the nine episodes of the HBO horror drama The Last of Us.
But his co-star, Bella Ramsey only got $70,000 an episode.
However, one fan argued: “Well that’s what happens when one actor has 30 years of experience and some major roles, and the other is somebody whose name and face I’ve never heard or seen in my life.”
Another joked: “Everyone in the world should get paid exactly the same for everything.”
And that’s not all that people have been talking about when it comes to the actress…
Many fans have questioned whether Ellie would be re-cast considering the time jump for season 2.
But now, the creators have put that rumour to bed…
Neil Druckmann confirmed they would not be recasting Ellie for season 2. He told The Wrap: “We are extremely lucky to have Bella… and the only way we would ever consider recasting Bella is if she said, ‘I don’t want to work with you guys anymore. And even then, we’re not sure we would grant her that. We might force her to come back this season.”
Some have pointed out that Bella Ramsey would be “too young” to play the season 2 version of Ellie.
However, as co-creator Craig Mazin pointed out: “She’s only 19 now, which by the way, is the age of Ellie in the Last of Us: Part II.”
So there you have it!