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The Last of Us star explains why Pedro Pascal got rid of one of Joel's most iconic lines

7 March 2023, 17:03

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By Sam Prance

"What Pedro does is he loves Joel enough to be different. That’s what I respect most about him."

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In The Last of Us, Pedro Pascal cuts one of Joel's most iconic lines from the game. Now, the original Joel has revealed why.

Fans of The Last of Us will already be well aware that the HBO show stays very true to the game that it's based on. Not only does it recreate actual scenes shot-for-shot from the game but it even includes a lot of the game's original dialogue. On top of that, multiple voice actors from the game have now appeared in the show as both minor and major characters.

However, in some cases, the show has deviated from the game. Now, Troy Baker, who played Joel in the game, and has a cameo appearance in episode 8, has opened up about how he feels about Pedro Pascal editing some of Joel's lines.

The Last of Us star explains why Pedro Pascal got rid of one of Joel's iconic lines from the show. Picture: Dave Benett/WireImage, HBO

In The Last of Us episode 6, many people were expecting Joel to say the immortal words, "You are treading on some mighty thin ice here" during his argument with Ellie. The line is one of the most heartbreaking moments of the game. Nevertheless, the show cuts the line completely and it actually turns out that it was Pedro's decision to remove it.

Speaking to RadioTimes about Pedro's take on Joel, Troy said: "All I ever wanted was for someone to show me something new about Joel. What did I miss? That’s the disappointment that would have come, if someone had just done what I did. What Pedro does is he loves Joel enough to be different. That’s what I respect most about him."

He then specified: "A perfect example is the classic line of, 'You’re treading on mighty thin ice.' Pedro was like, 'It just doesn’t feel right for me to say that. It feels forced.' The confidence to be able to say that and the confidence on [the creators' part to change it]. That’s what I love."

Troy Baker played Joel in the original The Last of Us game. Picture: Getty

Troy ended the interview by praising Pedro even further and saying: "He’s brought a physicality to this role, he’s brought a vulnerability to this role that really fits in well with Joel."

Given that Joel and Ellie's argument scene received near universal praise from fans, it seems like Pedro was right to cut Joel's line. An actor!