Most people think voice acting is just a person standing in a quiet booth, reading lines into a fancy microphone while wearing pajamas. For the the last of us video game cast, that couldn’t be further from the truth. They weren't just "voices." They were basically stage actors in tight spandex suits covered in little plastic balls, sweating under bright lights while pretending a stack of PVC pipes was a rusted-out Chevy.
The performances in this game didn't just happen. They were captured. That's a huge distinction Naughty Dog always makes. When you see Joel’s jaw tighten or Ellie’s eyes well up, you’re seeing the actual muscle movements of the actors. It’s why the game feels so raw. It’s why we’re still talking about it over a decade later.
The Faces You Know (And the Ones You Don’t)
Everyone knows the big names, but the depth of this cast is kind of insane. You’ve got industry legends and then you’ve got people who were just starting out.
- Troy Baker (Joel): Honestly, the guy is everywhere now, but Joel was his "prestige" moment. He’s said that the prologue scene where Sarah dies was the second worst day of his life. He had to pull from real-world grief to make that scream feel authentic. It took nine takes.
- Ashley Johnson (Ellie): She was 27 playing a 14-year-old. Think about that. She had to find a way to make Ellie sound tough but not annoying, vulnerable but not a "damsel." She basically lived in that character for years.
- Hana Hayes (Sarah): Even though she’s only in the game for about fifteen minutes, her performance is the entire emotional foundation of the series. If you didn’t care about Sarah, the rest of the game wouldn’t matter.
- Jeffrey Pierce (Tommy): He brought a certain stoic, Texas grit to Joel’s brother. Interestingly, he’s one of the few who actually hopped over to the HBO show, but they didn't let him play Tommy again—he played Perry, the bearded rebel leader in Kansas City.
- Annie Wersching (Tess): Her performance was legendary. She gave Tess a "don't mess with me" edge that still had a hint of tragic hope. Sadly, Annie passed away in 2023, making her performance feel even more poignant to fans today.
Why the Last of Us Video Game Cast Mattered for Performance Capture
Before this game, most "cinematic" games felt a bit wooden. The "uncanny valley" was a real problem. Naughty Dog used a process called Full Performance Capture. This meant they recorded the body movements, the facial expressions, and the dialogue all at once.
If Troy Baker accidentally bumped into a prop, they kept it. If Ashley Johnson’s voice cracked because she was actually crying, that’s what went into the game files. It wasn't "clean," and that’s why it worked.
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You’ve probably seen the behind-the-scenes footage of the "Rat King" from Part II. That wasn't just a digital monster. It was actually several actors—including stunt performers like Walter Gravy IV and Amy Johnston—physically strapped together to move as one gross, multi-limbed mass. That level of dedication is why the scares feel so physical.
The Supporting Players Who Stole the Show
You can't talk about the cast without mentioning the villains and the "one-chapter" wonders.
Nolan North as David is still one of the biggest shocks for gamers. Nolan is usually the "hero guy" (Nathan Drake). Seeing him turn into a soft-spoken, terrifying cannibal was a masterstroke of casting. He didn't use a "monster voice." He just used his normal voice, which made it ten times creepier.
Then there’s Merle Dandridge. She plays Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies. Merle is actually the only actor who played her character in the original 2013 game, the 2022 remake, and the HBO series. Talk about owning a role. She has a way of making Marlene feel like she’s carrying the weight of the entire world on her shoulders.
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Don't forget the Clickers. Those sounds aren't computer-generated. Misty Lee and Phillip Kovats are the vocalists responsible for that haunting, rhythmic clicking. They basically blew out their vocal cords to create a sound that has become synonymous with gaming horror.
Casting Choices That Almost Happened
It’s weird to imagine, but the cast could have looked very different. For a long time, fans were convinced Ellie was modeled after Elliot Page. It actually caused a bit of a legal stir back in the day, leading Naughty Dog to tweak Ellie’s facial model to look more like Ashley Johnson.
Also, before the HBO show was even a thing, there were talks of a movie. Troy Baker once mentioned he thought Josh Brolin would be a great Joel. Imagine that. It would have been a totally different vibe than the gritty, vulnerable Joel we got from Baker’s performance capture.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you're a fan of the series or interested in how these performances are built, there are a few things you should check out to really appreciate the craft:
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- Watch "Grounded": It’s a full-length documentary about the making of the first game. You get to see the actors in their mo-cap suits, and it completely changes how you view the cutscenes.
- Listen to the Podcast: The "Official The Last of Us Podcast" features interviews with the cast where they break down specific scenes. Troy Baker hosts it, and his insights into the "actor’s process" are gold.
- Play with Headphones: To hear the nuance in the vocal performances—the whispers, the ragged breathing—you need a good audio setup. The cast did a lot of "breath work" that gets lost on cheap TV speakers.
The magic of the the last of us video game cast isn't just that they had good voices. It's that they were allowed to be messy. They were allowed to improvise. When Joel calls Ellie "baby girl" at the end of the winter chapter, that wasn't in the original script. It was a moment of pure, raw connection between two actors who had spent years becoming these people.
To truly understand the depth of these characters, go back and watch the cinematic cutscenes without the gameplay. Focus on the eyes. You’ll see exactly why these actors are considered the gold standard for the medium.
To see the evolution of these performances, compare the original 2013 footage with the 2022 Part 1 remake. The remake uses the original audio and motion data but applies it to higher-fidelity character models, finally showing the micro-expressions the actors originally gave but that the PS3 hardware couldn't fully render.