This text incorporates spoilers for Episode 3 of Season 2 of “The Last of Us.”
“Give Sarah my love.”
Spoken in a voice inflected with exhaustion and grief, they’re the one phrases that Tommy, performed by the actor Gabriel Luna, is ready to muster to Joel (Pedro Pascal), whose lifeless physique lies shrouded on a desk in a makeshift morgue in Jackson.
As Tommy’s eyes properly up and he runs a moist fabric towards Joel’s pores and skin, we get a close-up of Joel’s arm and the previous, damaged army watch on his wrist. It’s a poignant image that brings us again to the very starting of “The Last of Us,” after we meet Joel, Tommy and Sarah. It was Sarah who repaired the watch as a birthday present to her father, and her sudden loss of life was central to Joel’s grief. And now that grief passes on to Tommy as he says goodbye to his brother.
For this scene that opens Episode 3 of the second season of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” Luna says he tapped into the grief that he’s skilled over time after shedding shut relations, together with his grandfather in 2013.
“I remember being the only one in that chapel, walking up to my grandfather’s coffin, and that’s what I had in my mind when I was shooting the scene … the young lady gives me the rag to wash [Joel’s] body, and she exits. Now I’m the only one in there,” he says. “But as I’m walking up to Joel’s body, that’s what I was thinking of — my grandpa and being the only one there.”
“I’ve been to a lot of funerals in my life so it felt very familiar,” he provides.
If Episode 2 was the depiction of fireside and uncontrollable rage — with Tommy flaming down an unrelenting monster referred to as a bloater, and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) torturing and killing Joel — Episode 3 is the alternative. It’s pensive and introspective about what was and what can be, very like Luna on this second of his profession on one among TV’s largest exhibits.
“I’ve been to a lot of funerals in my life so it felt very familiar,” says Gabriel Luna concerning the opening scene of Episode 3 within the second season of “The Last of Us.”
(Liane Hentscher / HBO)
After showing in small indie movies and doing stage work, Luna was forged because the lead within the El Rey collection “Matador.” Although “Matador” solely lasted a season, the actor went on to hitch ABC’s lauded Marvel collection “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” as Robbie Reyes, a.okay.a. Ghost Rider. In 2019, he starred in “Terminator: Dark Fate” as Rev-9, the place he went face to face with the unique cybernetic murderer performed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. That led to a task in Netflix’s “FUBAR” with Schwarzenegger as soon as once more, after which “The Last of Us.” (Peacock’s “Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” and Season 2 of Prime Video’s “The Terminal List” are amongst his upcoming tasks.)
Luna and I meet to speak about his function within the postapocalyptic collection at Bludso’s BBQ on La Brea Avenue, a favourite restaurant of his for a easy cause: It reminds him of residence. Luna was raised in Austin, Texas, and if you happen to’ve ever been, smoked meats are virtually a meals group there. It’s two days after Episode 2 has aired, and he is aware of the shockwave it has despatched to viewers. However he’s comfortable, sporting a pointy outfit of darkish Japanese denim and black leather-based boots that complement the Texas-themed eating room. He speaks softly however passionately about his work and the present as we converse earlier than a meal of brisket, cornbread and an assortment of sides.
Right here, in a dialog edited for size and readability, Luna discusses the aftermath of Joel’s loss of life, how the scene the place he says goodbye developed, and why as a Latino actor it issues that he avoids stereotypical roles.
There’s been a whole lot of response to Episode 2, the place we see Tommy maintain the fort and Joel die. Have you ever been following it?
It’s been a twister of a few days. I used to be at WrestleMania when the episode aired. I left … somewhat early to catch a flight, and after I landed, my telephone was completely lighting up like a Christmas tree, simply everybody calling and saying, “Oh, that was amazing. Congratulations.” Whenever you learn the script, you knew that there was potential there for it to be one thing extraordinary. Then while you acquired there on the day — we spent virtually two months taking pictures the second episode with Mark Mylod, our superb director of [shows like] “Succession” and “Game of Thrones.” After which, after all, Craig Mazin and Neil [Druckmann], the geniuses behind the entire thing.
You begin to see it come collectively. We’d truly be doing one thing that’ll go down in historical past, not simply the large battle sequence, but in addition simply the iconography of that Joel scene on the finish. All these issues collectively have been gonna make for a seismic response, or not less than I hoped taking pictures this a 12 months in the past. I’m sitting right here two days after that, and all of it got here to cross. Everyone reacted the way in which we thought they could, and persons are nonetheless watching it. I’m certain if I test my telephone there can be one other dozen texts from of us.
[Later, Luna flashes his phone, which is filled with rows of notifications.]
For me, it’s unforgettable. I nonetheless take into consideration these moments. Craig Mazin as soon as mentioned, “You know, this is the one that they’re going to remember us for.” I feel he was proper. And if this is without doubt one of the main issues I’m remembered for — I couldn’t be extra proud.
Gabriel Luna within the second episode of Season 2 of HBO’s “The Last of Us.” “If this is one of the major things I’m remembered for — I couldn’t be more proud,” he says. (Liane Hentscher / HBO)
Did Craig and Neil speak to you concerning the divergence from the video-game storyline on your character? [In the game, Tommy is with Joel when he’s killed.]
In the direction of the tip of the primary season, I advised them, “You know, it always rubbed me the wrong way that Tommy was knocked out, completely incapacitated during Joel’s murder. Is there a possibility that we shift things around?” Craig’s like, “You know what? I got an idea.”
Proper earlier than the strike in 2023, Craig sends me an enormous, lengthy textual content, explaining the way it all goes to go down, how Tommy is changed with Dina on the scene of Joel’s homicide, and is now in Jackson along with his spouse, Maria. The complete city is attempting to outlive this onslaught and initially, within the textual content, there’s like two or three bloaters. We shot it as if we have been being attacked by two or three. We needed to shave a whole lot of it down. I simply acquired goosebumps studying it. My coronary heart was beating simply studying this textual content.
The truth that this alteration was made based mostly off of enter from me and speaking to Craig and everyone else — perhaps that they had designs of doing that earlier than, however I simply love them a lot for being so open to the probabilities.
I really feel that closeness exhibits. On the press tour, you guys appear to essentially get alongside.
To like the folks you’re employed with, that’s an unimaginable blessing. There’s actual love there, even among the many people who find themselves onscreen nemeses, mortal enemies.
Have you ever talked to Pedro or anybody else within the forged since?
Craig has a textual content thread referred to as “The Crazy of Us,” and so we’re all simply speaking to one another. It’s thrilling now for the second episode, however we acquired much more to return, we’re simply getting began. However we thought we’d give them a pleasant little shock to the center proper firstly.
“It’s exciting now for the second episode, but we got a lot more to come, we’re just getting started,” Gabriel Luna says.
(JSquared Pictures / For The Occasions)
In Episode 3, you’re one of many first characters we see. What was going by your thoughts while you have been filming?
We talked about my grandfather earlier on this interview. I keep in mind when he handed away. Peter Hoar was the director for [this episode], and he did the Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett episode [“Long, Long Time”] final season. I simply breathed and let it occur.
Pedro was not truly there, it was the physique double. They requested me,”Would you wish to have him in full make-up?” “I would. Just to see all the damage, right?” They usually put him in full make-up, his eyes swollen and bloody, so after I carry the shroud, I might see and have a bodily response.
I’ll say yet another factor relating to that. We had a whole lot of dialogue there that I’m glad they minimize. As a result of all you really want to say is, “Give Sarah my love.”
Was that within the script?
That was within the script. There was a complete different bit within the script [about Ellie]. She’s OK, she’s damage unhealthy, however she’s going to be all proper. And me promising to maintain her. Which didn’t should be mentioned as a result of I’m the one factor she has left.
However from this level, it’s now Bella [Ramsey] and Kaitlyn’s dance. Me, in a supporting capability, somewhat bit extra central transferring ahead, however … these are the characters that begin transferring the story ahead. It was additionally this attention-grabbing double that means, as I used to be saying these phrases, it’s not solely will I maintain Ellie, however we’ll maintain the present transferring ahead.
Rutina Wesley, who performs Tommy’s spouse Maria, with Gabriel Luna in “The Last of Us.”
(Liane Hentscher / HBO)
This episode additionally exhibits the distinction between Tommy and Joel. You’re married, you will have a child, you’re the city chief. You’re attempting to resolve, can we go avenge him?
I like how way more torn Tommy must be to make the alternatives he’s about to make. My obligations to my spouse [Maria, played by Rutina Wesley], to my son, to this metropolis, find yourself superseding my need to go and assist with my brother. You may see this totally different facet of Tommy that you simply don’t see within the sport, the place he’s somewhat bit extra untethered, impulsive.
I acquired to have this actually fantastic scene with Catherine O’Hara [who plays Gail, a psychotherapist] about what it means to inherit her [Ellie]. To have to know what she’s going by and to like her, but in addition love my brother, but in addition, when does it cease? May we select proper now to show the opposite cheek [and] save lots of people’s futures and lots of people’s heartache? Generally you’ll be able to’t. That’s the entire lesson of the story. It’s about forgiveness. However how a lot will you endure alongside the way in which, till you study that lesson?
Why do you assume folks join with the collection a lot? There are some parallels to the true world, just like the pandemic. There’s a whole lot of division in our nation.
I feel that these are nice entry factors for folks. The range of the forged, not solely within the present, but in addition within the sport, offers folks entry factors as properly.
Everyone in “The Last of Us” is on the identical aircraft as a result of we’re all combating this looming risk above us [and] we’re all contending with it in numerous methods, reaching to like and neighborhood, army pressure, faith — all these numerous methods of coping. There’s one thing to the variety of all of it but in addition to the sameness of everybody and that we’re all on this collectively. But in addition I feel folks like tales [that] put themselves in our boots … how would I take care of restricted sources and now not abide by the legal guidelines of man and legal guidelines of nature?
“That’s the whole lesson of the story. It’s about forgiveness,” says Gabriel Luna.
(JSquared Pictures/For The Occasions)
As somebody who’s Latino, do you are feeling like your upbringing helped form your profession or have a hand within the roles that you simply’ve chosen?
The satisfaction and the assist and the love of a Mexican American household fortified me. The tradition enriched my expertise. On the opposite facet of that coin, the illustration inside media and the way they take a look at us was the alternative of that in a whole lot of methods. So it was one thing the place I carried the tradition and I carried my satisfaction in my background … and it was that satisfaction that received’t let me simply take no matter they [the industry] wished to present. You already know, I wasn’t going to play a narcotraficante. I wasn’t going to play gangster, and although I like our language, I wasn’t going to play characters that solely have to talk Spanish due to the way in which we glance.
I wished to be everybody’s hero. I wished Black, Asian, white, all of these youngsters to look to me and see them see themselves in me. I mentioned no to a whole lot of issues that have been extra conventional, which was what the trade was providing and it ended up being a very good factor as a result of I used to be obtainable when the components that subverted that got here alongside, like Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider, the “Terminator” movie and this one, “The Last of Us.”
You may have performed fairly a little bit of style work. Is it one thing that you?
I’m a baby who grew up with all of that in ‘80s culture, comic books, Ninja Turtles, “Batman ‘89,” “Jurassic Park,” all that stuff … the precursors to all the Marvels and the video game adaptations.
Because of my physical ability, I’ve been ready to enter these type of roles that require a whole lot of motion parts, that are an enormous staple of those style photos. I feel that’s what I like. I’m fortunate. I’m glad that I get to do these kind of issues which have these nice followings and actually passionate followers. I’ve at all times mentioned it’s in good fingers. I attempted to ease their issues by letting them know, perhaps circuitously earlier than we ever dedicated to the display, however actually after the truth that I like this similar approach you do. And I like “The Last of Us.” I like the Ghost Rider. I like the 40-year historical past of the Terminator. I don’t wish to mess it up simply as a lot as you don’t need me to mess it up. I actually hope that individuals can see that it’s within the nurturing fingers of any individual who actually loves such a storytelling.
