The Cast Of The Last Of Us Is Gorgeous In Real Life

Developed by the acclaimed studio Naughty Dog, "The Last of Us" is widely seen as one of the best gaming franchises of the last decade. The first installment, which launched on the PlayStation 3 in 2013 and PlayStation 4 the following year, introduced gamers to Ellie and Joel, survivors of a deadly plague that has wiped out much of humanity. Together, the pair embark on a journey to find a cure, forging an unbreakable bond ss they encounter a constant stream of new enemies.

The success of the first game led to a sequel in 2020, as well as a brand new remake that has received positive reviews for its visual and gameplay upgrades. That's not to mention the upcoming HBO television adaptation, which will feature the original "The Last of Us" stars Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in some form.

Part of the reason that "The Last of Us" has enchanted fans is due to the strong performances of the various voice/mo-cap actors, who have added emotion and drama to an already great narrative. What might not be clear, however, is just what these voice actors actually look like. Players can definitely hear how talented the "The Last of Us" is, but might never know how good-looking the cast actually is.

Beware of spoilers ahead for "The Last of Us" and "The Last of Us Part 2"

Troy Baker is responsible for portraying Joel Miller in "The Last of Us" and its sequel. One of the main protagonists in the series, Joel managed to survive the cordyceps brain infection pandemic that spread across the planet and wiped out most of the human race. Tasked with smuggling Ellie for a militia called the Fireflies, he eventually forms a fatherly relationship with the young girl and acts as her protector. Following the death of his daughter, he became a colder and more morally complex character, willing to do things that others aren't to get the job done. Baker's deep raspy twang has become synonymous with the character, to the point where some fans have noted that Pedro Pascal appears to be mimicking it in HBO's upcoming series.

Outside of "The Last of Us," Baker is a veteran voice actor who has lent his vocal talents to animated series, video games, and movies. He is probably best known for voicing characters like Samuel Drake in the "Uncharted" games and Booker DeWitt in "BioShock Infinite." However, he has also taken part in projects as varied as "Tales from the Borderlands," "Final Fantasy 13," and "Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain." He has also voiced comic book characters such as the Joker, Loki, and Hawkeye in various adaptations and appeared in numerous anime, including "Naruto: Shippuden" and "Fullmetal Alchemist."

In addition to his voiceover career, Baker is an accomplished musician (per Gameranx). In 2022, he was involved in an NFT partnership with Voiceverse, but he withdrew from the project following criticism from fans.

Ellie Williams is the central character of "The Last of Us" franchise, played by Ashley Johnson. Ellie was immune to the cordyceps brain infection and was widely believed to hold the key to creating a vaccine against the disease. However, the close relationship she develops with Joel leads him to make some unexpected decisions that alters both their fates.

Johnson began her career as a child, appearing as a regular in the 90s sitcom "Growing Pains." She later went on to have a number of roles in other television series and films. In 2012, she appeared in superhero epic "The Avengers" and Shakespeare comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" after impressing director Joss Whedon (per Yahoo). Her video game appearances aren't restricted to "The Last of Us," as she's also worked on "Minecraft: Story Mode" and "Tales from the Borderlands." On TV, she's voiced characters in "Ben 10" and "Teen Titans."

Since 2015 she has been part of the main cast of "Critical Role," a web series that follows a group of voice actors playing "Dungeons & Dragons" over multiple campaigns. It has since been adapted by Prime Video as an animated television series called "The Legend of Vox Machina." She reprised her character from "Vox Machina," Pike Trickfoot, in DLC for "Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire."

Annie Wersching portrays Tess in the first game, where she plays an important role as the partner of Joel Miller. A smuggler like her friend, the two begin the story by hunting down an arms dealer named Robert before mercilessly torturing and killing him when he reveals that he sold their goods without paying them. The pair then agree to smuggle Ellie out of Boston in exchange for the money and weapons they are owed. 

"The Last of Us" is actually one of the only video games that Wersching has appeared in, with the other being BioWare's "Anthem." The actor has primarily worked in television, with her first role coming in "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2002. Her breakout moment came when she was cast as Renee Walker in two seasons of "24," following a stint on the soap opera "General Hospital." This was followed by credits in "Bosch," "Timeless," and "The Vampire Diaries." Her TV career came full circle in 2022 when she appeared in another "Star Trek" series, this time portraying the Borg Queen in "Star Trek: Picard."

Tommy Miller, played by Jeffrey Pierce, is one of the few characters that Joel has any sort of relationship with other than Ellie and Tess. The younger of the two Miller brothers, Tommy was another survivor of the infection and proved to be a more compassionate and emotional person when compared to his older sibling. Rather than turning to a life of smuggling, he joined the militia group known as the Fireflies and eventually set up a safe haven in Jackson to provide a home for survivors.

Pierce had his first television acting role in 1997 when he appeared in an episode of the crime drama series "Pacific Blue." He then went on to have roles in a number of American television shows, such as "The West Wing," "NCIS: Los Angeles," "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles", and "The Night Shift." The actor has also voiced characters in several "Call of Duty" games, with his first role arriving in the 2013 release "Call of Duty: Ghosts."

Pierce has been nominated for a number of awards for his work on "The Last of Us." In 2014, he was acknowledged for his integral role as part of the larger cast at the Behind the Voice Actor Awards, and was later nominated for a BAFTA Award for his supporting role in "The Last of Us Part 2."

As the leader of the militia group known as the Fireflies, Marlene is one of the antagonists of "The Last of Us." Portrayed by actor Merle Dandridge, Marlene was once a close friend of Ellie's mother and took it upon herself to look after Ellie. Despite forming a close bond with the child, she showed that she was willing to sacrifice Ellie if it meant that a vaccine could be developed and end the threat of the Cordyceps brain infection.

Before landing the role of Marlene, Dandridge had been involved in some notable games, including her performance as Alyx Vance in "Half-Life 2," a role she'd later reprise in "Half-Life: Alyx." She has also performed in "Dota 2," "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," and "Hitman 3." Her portrayal of Kate Collins in "Everybody's Gone to the Rapture" earned her the BAFTA Award for Best Performer. 

Dandridge has also notably performed in a number of Broadway musicals, including the likes of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Spamalot." On television, she's appeared in hit shows such as "Sons of Anarchy" and "Station 19."

Played by actor Brandon Scott, Henry appears as a supporting character in "The Last of Us." The older brother of Sam, he is incredibly protective of his younger sibling and does everything he can to keep him safe. After encountering Joel and Ellie, the two groups work together to escape from Pittsburgh and quickly become friends as they are involved in several tense moments. Scott beautifully balances the tender moments with his brother with the horrifying realities of taking care of family in a post-apocalyptic world.

Brandon Scott is a regular voice actor and has had roles in a number of other video games over the years. Some of the highlights are "Battlefield 1," "Spyro Reignited Trilogy," and "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End." He has also lent his voice to animated projects such as "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero." His live-action roles include "13 Reasons Why," "This Is Us," and "Dead to Me," although he is probably most famous for his two-year stint on "Grey's Anatomy" as surgical intern Ryan Spalding. Audiences may also know him from his role as Robert Bettencourt in Season 4 of Prime Video's "Goliath."

The younger brother of Henry, Sam plays an important role in "The Last of Us." While hiding in Pittsburgh while searching for supplies, Sam encounters Joel and Ellie and the four survivors decide to work together to avoid the military and get out of the city to meet up with the Fireflies at a nearby radio tower. Unfortunately, things quickly take a turn for the worse with Henry and Sam, and the results stick with Ellie for the remainder of the game. In "The Last of Us," Sam is memorably portrayed by Nadji Jeter.

Jeter is arguably best known for portraying Miles Morales in a number of Marvel projects, making his debut as the character in 2017 for the animated series "Spider-Man" on Disney XD. In the years since, he has appeared in a number of video games, most notably as Miles Morales in Insomniac Games' "Marvel's Spider-Man" and the standalone spin-off, "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales." He has reprised the role in animation, and will return as the second Spider-Man in "Marvel's Spider-Man 2."

The actor has also appeared in a number of television shows, including "Grey's Anatomy" and "Castle," as well as movies such as "The Runner" and "Grown-Ups."

Maria Miller is another member of the Miller family, although she is not a blood relative of Joel. Instead, she marries his brother Tommy and acts as the leader of the Jackson community where Tommy and Joel live following the events of the first game. Ashley Scott portrays the character in "The Last of Us" and "The Last of Us Part 2," playing a more significant role in the sequel. When Tommy leaves the town on a mission of revenge, it leads to an argument and puts a terrible strain in their relationship.

The two Naughty Dog releases are the only video games that Scott has appeared in. However, she has an extensive filmography that includes numerous television series and films. Her first movie role came in 2001 when she played Gigolo Jane in the Steven Spielberg film "A.I. Artificial Intelligence." She later had roles in films such as "S.W.A.T.," "Into the Blue," and "12 Rounds."

On television, the actor has had several guest roles in the likes of "CSI: Miami" and "NCIS," as well as main roles in "Dark Angel" and "Birds of Prey." She later reprised her "Birds of Prey" role of Helena Kyle in a cameo during the CW's epic "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover.

In "The Last of Us," Nolan North plays a character known only as David. Very little is known about this character's backstory prior to the events of the game, but players soon find out that he is not the friendly individual he first appears to be. Leading a group of survivors, it is revealed that David and the rest of his group are actually cannibals. After running out of ordinary supplies, they have resorted to killing any other people they come across. David and his accomplice James capture Ellie and almost slaughter her, although she manages to escape after convincing them that she is infected.

Speaking to GamePro in 2010, North explained that he had always wanted to be an actor, but initially only found success through being cast in soap operas. He played Dr. Chris Ramsey in "Port Charles," a spin-off of "General Hospital," from 1997 until 2003. However, he soon found himself being approached for voiceover work and transitioned to becoming a voice actor more than a live-action performer. The switch definitely seems to have worked in his favor.

He notably portrayed "Uncharted" protagonist Nathan Drake across multiple games and was chosen by Ubisoft to play Desmond Miles in the "Assassin's Creed" franchise. He has also had roles in several other major games, from "Destiny" to "Spec Ops: The Line." Fans of comic books will likely recognize him as having voiced characters such as Deadpool, Superboy, and Iron Man in various video games and animated TV series.

Nora Harris is played by Chelsea Tavares in "The Last of Us Part 2." She provides support to Abby Anderson on her mission to avenge the death of her father. Later in the game, Ellie confronts Nora in an attempt to discover Abby's location and eventually beats her with a metal pipe to get the information in a brutal scene filled with intense acting. Her exact fate is left unclear, but things don't look good for her when players last see her. 

Prior to her role in "The Last of Us Part 2," Tavares had appeared in the PlayStation game "The Lion King: Simba's Mighty Adventure" playing the young version of Nala. In 2014, she voiced Glory in Bethesda's "Fallout 4" and gained a ton of new fans for her part as Cranberry St. Claire in the Nickelodeon show "Unfabulous". A regular throughout the three seasons of the series, she later joined the cast of "Just Jordan" on the same network. Since then, she had guest appearances on the likes of "CSI: Miami" and "Lethal Weapon," as well as recurring roles on "Make It or Break It," "Animal Kingdom," and "All American."

According to Tavares, she greatly enjoys voiceover roles for their flexibility and the challenges that come with not appearing on camera.

In "The Last of Us Part 2," Abby is one of the two main playable characters alongside Ellie. Hell-bent on getting revenge upon Joel for the murder of her father, she stops at nothing in her goal of tracking him down. Portrayed by Laura Bailey in a multi-award-winning performance, Abby allows Ellie to live following their first encounter, a decision that leads to several of her close friends being killed as Ellie embarks on a revenge mission of her own. Abby bonds with a runaway member of the Seraphites cult named Lev, becoming his guardian over the course of the game.

While Bailey has appeared in plenty of live-action roles in shows such as "Walker, Texas Ranger," she is best known for her voiceover work. Getting her start as Kid Trunks in "Dragon Ball Z," she's gone on to rack up a staggering 500 credits. Bailey is also a member of the "Critical Role" team, where she plays Vex. In an interview with Nerdist, she admitted that she is obsessed with her character and the "Dungeons & Dragons" campaigns. This was proven when she famous left The Game Awards early in 2019 to join her compatriots at "Critical Role." 

Bailey's voice will be familiar to comic book fans for her performances as characters such as Black Widow, Mary Jane Watson, and Catwoman, but she's also played notable roles in "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dawnguard," "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," "World of Warcraft," and "Gears of War."

Yara is one of the major supporting characters in "The Last of Us Part II" and an ally of Abby. Victoria Grace provides the voice for the character, who was previously a member of the Seraphites. The older sister of Lev, they were forced to leave the cult and almost killed during their escape from Seattle before Abby intervened. In an interview with Polygon, Grace explained that she was eager to embody the brave and loving Yara, explaining, "I was immediately attached to Yara because of her strength, bravery, and selflessness."

Joining acting classes at a young age following a chance encounter with a television director, Grace began her career incredibly early as a child (via IMDb). With more than 60 credits to her name, the actor has appeared in a wide variety of projects over the years. Some of her first roles involved short films such as "Moon Hollow" and "The Lesson," although Grace also appeared in the video game "Kinect Disneyland Adventures" in 2011. More recently, she has been a regular in series that include "Hellbound," "Pacific Rim: The Black," "Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem," and "A Model Family."

Manny Alvarez (played by Alejandro Edda) is a supporting character in the second game. A member of the Washington Liberation Front who was previously affiliated with the Fireflies, he acts as an ally to Abby. Manny joins her as they travel to Jackson and subdues Joel with other members of the group. Later, Manny works with Abby again as they try to kill Tommy, but a surprise attack foils that plan. 

In an interview with Closely Observed Frames, Alejandro Edda explained that he was drawn to acting from an early age, becoming especially inspired after seeing Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in the film "Chaplin." Since then, he's been seeking inspiration and creativity in every place he can find it.

Edda has portrayed characters in a number of video games outside of "The Last of Us." He played the deadly Gustavo in Naughty Dog's 2016 game "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" and later provided the voice of Agent Ricky Sandoval in the Ubisoft title "Ghost Recon: Wildlands." On television, he's notably appeared on "Fear the Walking Dead" and "The Bridge," but audiences may know him best for his role as real-life kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán in "Narcos: Mexico." Edda even attended the actual trial of the drug lord in February 2019, according to the New York Times.

Owen Moore was another of Abby's allies in "The Last of Us Part II." Patrick Fugit provided the voice and motion capture for the character, who was a former member of the Fireflies and the Washington Liberation Front. Once a love interest for Abby, he was with her, Manny, Jordan, and Mel, when they captured Joel. A voice of reason and compassion, he prevented the others from killing Tommy and Ellie, believing that they were innocent and didn't deserve to die. His compassion would end up being his undoing when Ellie set off on her vengeful mission after her recovery. 

"The Last of Us Part 2" is Fugit's only video game role, although he has appeared in a wide range of television shows and movies over the course of his 25-year career. Some of his most memorable film roles include his breakout appearance as William Miller in "Almost Famous" — a fictionalized version of director Cameron Crowe's experience writing for "Rolling Stone" — as well as Officer James Gilpin in "Gone Girl" and Patrick Wheeler in "Saved." Fugit later played the main character Kyle Barnes in the 2016 horror series "Outcast." In 2023, Patrick Fugit will appear alongside Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons in HBO's "Love and Death."

Shannon Woodward plays Dina in "The Last of Us Part 2." One of the main characters in the game, she is the partner of Ellie and the pair raise her son JJ together following the death of his father Jesse. Having fallen in love with Ellie, Dina travels to Seattle with her as she seeks revenge against Abby and her friends, although she expresses a desire to settle down in Jackson and their relationship becomes strained to the breaking point when Ellie departs for the final time to hunt down Abby.

In an interview with Variety, Woodward revealed that she was already a fan of the first game before she got the part of Dina in the sequel. She also said that she and Ashley Johnson had excellent chemistry while recording their parts for the game, which aided in their performances. 

Woodward's performance in "The Last of Us Part 2" earned her a BAFTA Awards nomination for Best Performer in a Supporting Role. As a child, the actor appeared in the Nickelodeon series "Clarissa Explains It All." She later had a main role in "The Riches" and was a series regular across all four seasons of "Raising Hope" as Sabrina Collins. Many viewers will know her face from the HBO series "Westworld," in which she played Elsie Hughes in the first two seasons.