is one of the most popular games of the last decade. The success of Naughty Dog’s work was largely due to the voice actors who created credible characters, and it is much easier for players to identify with them. The role of Ellie was played by Ashley Johnson, and Joel was voiced by Troy Baker, who coped with the task perfectly.
Pedro Pascal was not the first choice for the role of Joel. Ellie’s friend was to be played by someone else
So it’s not surprising that players felt a dissonance when Joel spoke in the film version of “The Last of Us”. Although at the beginning there were opinions that some people find it difficult to get used to the new incarnation of the main character, today (before the premiere of the eighth episode), the vast majority of viewers of the series cannot imagine that Ellie’s friend could be played by someone else. It turns out, however, that the actor known from “Narcos” and ” was not the creators’ first choice.
Jeffrey Pierce, the actor who played Tommy, Joel’s brother in the game and appeared in the series as soldier Perry, was interviewed by “The Direct”. He told the interviewer that he hoped to be cast in his original role. However, it soon turned out that this would not be possible due to the choice of the main character. The role of Joel was supposed to go to a black Californian.
Mahershala Ali was originally cast as Joel. It was an obvious signal that I would not be able to play Tommy in this configuration. Then they finally chose Pedro, but my situation has not changed anyway. I’m older than him, so I had no hope of returning as Tommy.
Mahershala Ali is a 49-year-old actor known for productions such as “Moonlight”, “Green Book” and “Luke Cage”. In 2024, the artist will appear on the big screen as Blade in the movie about the next Marvel superhero.
Ali would probably do a great job as Joel. The actor’s skills are hard to undermine, not without reason he has already been awarded with an Oscar twice for a supporting role.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
