‘The Last of Us’ Actor Says that Marvel’s Mahershala Ali was Originally Set to Portray the Role of Joel, Not Pedro Pascal

Incredible news has come to light, as Jeffrey Pierce – the voice of Tommy in The Last Of Us video game series – revealed that Mahershala Ali (best known for his upcoming lead role in Blade) was originally selected to portray Joel on the small screen adaptation. Though Pedro Pascal currently plays this character on The Last of Us, it could have been a totally different situation!

During his interview with The Direct, Pierce expressed that he had no unrealistic expectations of himself when playing the role of Tommy.

“I think initially they had talked to Mahershala Ali about playing Joel, which is an obvious cue that I’m not gonna play Tommy… And when they cast Pedro [Pascal], I knew like, yeah, that was certainly not going to happen regardless, I’m older than Pedro Pascal. So I was not harbouring any illusions about that, for sure.” he said.

The protagonist of the show, Tommy, is played by Gabriel Luna. However, Pierce also makes a brief appearance in episodes four and five of The Last Of Us as Perry – an ally to Kathleen (portrayed by Melanie Lynsky from Yellowjackets).

Expressing his enthusiasm for being part of the show, Pierce stated: “It was my pleasure to be involved in any way possible – whether it’s holding a spear or simply standing in the corner. I told Neil Druckmann right away that if there is anything I can do to contribute to bringing this story alive then just count me in!”

“And the fact that it turned into Perry is kind of one of those [laughs]. He sent me the scripts and I read him. I was like, ‘Oh shit, this is gonna be so much fun’. He is one of the most lovely, talented, decent human beings going, and he is so good at his job that when he hands you writing, you just know how to make it fly. And this was one of those moments,” he added.