The Last of Us season two will see Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal take a different approach to Joel and Ellie’s relationship as new revelations create distance and conflict between the pair.
During an exclusive interview with Digital Spy, Ramsey shared what it was like to explore their tense dynamic this season given how close the two are in real life.
“It was sad having to play that sort of tension with him because we do get along so well in real life,” they told Digital Spy before adding that “it was also fun to do new stuff… [and] to try different things with him, but it’s sad. It’s not nice being cold to someone.”
The Ellie actor unpacked their character’s feelings towards Joel, describing the state of their relationship following the five-year jump.
“Their relationship has definitely shifted between season one [to now],” they said. “I think Ellie’s definitely distancing herself from him, and I think that’s not even necessarily like a conscious thing that she’s trying to do.
“It’s just with new information that she’s gotten, she’s looking at him differently and that’s naturally creating a bit of a distance from him.”
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Ramsey expanded on this further, saying: “I think that she kind of hates herself for it, but I think it’s quite relatable for a lot of teenagers with father figures, but especially with Ellie and Joel and the stuff that’s happened with them and the backdrop of this apocalypse that they’re in. I think there’s just a lot of trauma there.”
This season will see Ramsey take a different approach to the role of Ellie as she wrestles with her new reality.
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“Ellie always struggled with trust,” they said. “Especially in the world that she literally grew up in and I think now that has amplified.
“She’s looking at the world definitely through a more critical eye, and I think she’s gotten a bit harder and tougher and her skin’s gotten a bit thicker and that obviously will impact how she sees everything and everyone.”
The Last of Us season 2 airs on Mondays at 2am and 9pm on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK. The show airs on HBO in the US.
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TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.