Before The Last of Us became a beloved HBO series, it was a story-driven, action-packed, and emotionally profound video game. The original Joel actor, Troy Baker, has shared new insights into what it was like to bring that character to life in the game, including some of the story’s toughest scenes. Baker is a familiar voice to many, with roles in some of the most iconic franchises in the world, from Indiana Jones to Fortnite and many others.

Among the roles he is best known for is certainly Joel, one of the main characters in the harrowing post-apocalyptic survival game The Last of Us. Joel begins as a father who tragically loses his daughter, Sarah, at the onset of the Cordyceps infection outbreak. In the wake of that loss, he tries to survive in this new nightmarish landscape, only to meet Ellie, a young girl who is discovered to have immunity to the infection. With this new father-daughter dynamic, Joel finds himself in a series of intense and often violent situations.

This comes to a head when Joel brings Ellie to the Fireflies, thinking they will use her immunity to find a cure, only to discover that their process means killing Ellie. He then massacres them to save her. This scene, along with Joel’s death—where he is brutally bludgeoned with a golf club—is among the most brutal and difficult moments in the entire game. At Comicon Napoli 2026, Baker spoke exclusively with Screen Rant about portraying Joel in those scenes, his perspective on the character, and how this role connects to his real-life fatherhood.

Troy Baker Has A Powerful Connection To Joel’s Journey

Although Baker is now well-known for playing Joel, he shared that he initially came very close to walking away from the role.

Troy Baker: I came this close to not being Joel. I was on my way out of the audition because I walked into that room and thought I wasn’t right for it. When I walked in, I could see other actors who looked like they could play Joel, and I thought I didn’t resemble this character at all. I was frustrated with my agent for suggesting I read for someone who seemed much older than me. Thankfully, Christina, the casting director at that time, stopped me just as I was about to leave and said, ‘Troy! Good, you made it. They’re ready for you.’ So she caught me just in time.

Even after securing the role, there was still a learning curve for Baker.

Baker: Once I got the gig, I had to continually chip away at my ego because now I’ve got this role. Being such a fan of Uncharted made me feel like I had to impress everyone as if I were trying to be the new Nolan North. It took me a while to catch up with Ashley [Johnson] because she was just being Ellie without any worries about impressing anyone. Once I did catch up with her, we created something special together.

When asked how much of himself he brings to his roles, Baker stated: “All of it.”

Baker: This idea that you have to shut out your emotions is not true for me. No matter what I’m feeling or experiencing personally, I have to bring that into my performance.

Joel’s brutal death also affected Baker deeply.

Baker: There are seven stages of grief that I experienced with Joel—bartering, anger, depression—and eventually acceptance. Neil [Druckmann] and I had our disagreements over this aspect of the story. He is one of my closest friends and told me that I needed to trust him regarding how it would unfold.

Baker revealed that it wasn’t Joel’s death that sparked their biggest argument but rather Joel’s confession about what he did to the Fireflies.

Baker: I’ll never forget arguing with him in my backyard about this scene. I insisted that Joel would never confess his actions—it was his burden alone. However, through our discussions, I realized my feelings were clouding my judgment about what made sense for Joel’s character.

Ultimately, Baker admitted that this scene became his favorite.

Regarding whether Joel was justified in his actions against the Fireflies, Baker has a clear perspective.

Baker: In such situations, there is no right or wrong answer. I’ve heard people say they would do anything for their child—it’s not about nobility but rather instinct.

This sentiment resonates deeply with Baker as a father.

Baker: In my arrogance before our son was born, I thought he would sleep in his own bed from day one. However, when he asked if he could sleep with us instead one night as he approached eight years old—I couldn’t imagine him being any further from me than he was at that moment. It reminded me that no matter what happens in life or how far apart we may be physically or emotionally—he can always come home.

Baker sees parallels between his approach to parenthood and Joel’s character.

Baker: At that moment talking with my son—I’m speaking not just to him but also addressing his future self at various ages—he needs to know he can always return home regardless of what he’s done. My love for him is unconditional.

Baker also praised Pedro Pascal’s portrayal of Joel in the HBO series.

Baker: Many believe Joel’s actions were about redeeming himself for losing Sarah—but that’s who he truly is throughout the story. Pedro did an incredible job capturing that essence—Joel operates with military precision when it comes down to protecting Ellie.

Here you can find the original article; the photos and images used in our article also come from this source. We are not their authors; they have been used solely for informational purposes with proper attribution to their original source.[/nospin]

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