TheLastOfUs creator Neil Druckmann opens up about the lengthy search for the perfect Ellie actor, which included Booksmart's Kaitlyn Dever, who made it all the way to a table read.
Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever almost played Ellie in HBO’s upcoming The Last of Us. Out in January, the series will follow a no-nonsense smuggler who’s tasked with escorting a teenage girl named Ellie across a pandemic-ravaged America.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY It turns out that The Last of Us co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin went through a laborious casting process when finding the right Ellie. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Druckmann admitted that they saw dozens and dozens of actresses for the part, with Booksmart star Kaitlyn Dever being one of those people, and she even did a table read.
When Mazin watched Ramsey's audition tape, he found himself immediately on board, with Druckmann, who created the original Last of Us games, agreeing and believing that the young actor "was like Ellie realize in live-action." Ramsey went from audition to securing the role in less than a month, and based on her Game of Thrones role alone, many have felt that Ramsey is a good choice for Ellie.
Since The Last of Us’ narrative isn’t exceptionally long, as the whole story could be told in two to three seasons for the two games in the franchise, it doesn’t look like Ramsey, now 19, will age out of the role. While Dever bears a striking resemblance to Ellie, admittedly more than Ramsey in some eyes, the actor is not only in her late 20s, but still to be tested physically, and it’s unclear whether or not she has the range for a dark role like Ellie.
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