The Last of Us is a rare show that comes with an elevated amount of pressure. Not only is it beloved and also one of the most popular shows on TV, but it's also bringing to life one of the biggest video game stories of all time. And the stakes have never been higher now that Ellie and Joel's journey have led them over to Jackson, Wyoming, where they have laid down their own roots over the five year time jump. As with any home, connections are made. While they have stayed on their own throughout their initial adventure, new friends and family have no doubt made an impact on them as they get ready to face their biggest enemies yet.
Isabela Merced and Young Mazino are up to the task as they play fan favorites Dina and Jesse, two of the younger members of Jackson's community who have faced all kinds of danger for the sake of their loved ones. As more of their connection begins to unravel, especially with Bela Ramsey's Ellie, so does their stardom as they re-introduce themselves to this audience of hungry and excited viewers who are ready for the next chapter of this story.
Cosmopolitan chatted with Isabela and Young prior to the show's big premiere about re-creating some of the game's most iconic scenes, the big triangle between their characters, and the unexpected moment behind-the-scenes that definitely bonded them for life.
How do you approach playing these characters knowing how much love and history there is?
Young Mazino: I'm okay. I did my best, and if the fans hate it, regardless, I think I showed up to do the work and my goal is to be truthful under imaginary circumstances. I had a strong backbone of writing to depend on and amazing castmates like Izzy and Bella Ramsey. At the same time, it's such a subjective thing what we do. I am open to any opinion, and I think that's the beauty of it. I do have some confidence that people will resonate and to prepare, I went up to co-creator Craig Mazin and I was like, What should I do? He was like, You should be strong. So then I pursued strength.
Isabela Merced: Your definition of it, yeah!
Young Mazino: Which I think was a very Jesse way to approach things.
Isabel Merced: I think it's important to take a stoic approach when it comes to these things. You control what you can control, and then everything else is out of your hands. That's kind of my approach to it. I think this was actually less challenging than Dora [in Dora and the Lost City of Gold] with respect to the IP. I feel like Dora was probably one of the most like challenging, because I wanted to really nail it. Like, that's my girl!
I had a really good map with Shannon Woodward's work in the game. She really painted such a beautiful picture of such a character that didn't need to be that important, but she ended up being so important and central to Ellie's story. If you know, you know. And so what I did from there was just accept the fact that I was chosen for this job, and then just tried to do my best.
Young Mazino: Kudos to the original actor, Stephen Chang. Everyone fell in love with his character, and he was like, You define cool. So I attempted to replicate some of that energy as best I could.
Episode 1 includes a lot of horse riding and some fighting. What was that training like?
Young Mazino: We had some really cool trainers and instructors. We had an OG of the game, Danny Virtue, who has had such a prolific career. We went to the ranch to learn how to ride our horses. The firearms instructor was this super cool dude. He was like the one kicking down doors. We had some badass people on set.
Isabela Merced: Yeah, we did! Danny Virute had a really big ranch that we ended up using for some of the scenes in the series as well. It was a beautiful opportunity to get to work with him. And we had some horses with enviable acting credits. They were extremely intuitive. We did a lot of the training together. We would go on these road trips and it's kind of how we got to know each other. And it's like, Who's this really cool, deep guy?
How did you build up the love triangle between Ellie, Dina, and Jesse? There's five years of missing history there, especially between Dina and Jesse.
Isabela Merced: We had really good writing and we were able to fill in the dots. We really just realized that Dina and Jesse had a really natural connection, and it flowed, and it was hot, and on and off again. I think maybe they should have stayed broken up before, but they didn't. That's okay, and it's part of their journey. It's not your traditional love triangle, though. You guys are very respectful towards each other and so it's interesting.
Young Mazino: I think Jesse feels for Ellie in a lot of ways. They're both usually on the outside looking in, which is evident in the first episode as they both hate these parties. Meanwhile, Dina is literally at the center of it all, dancing away and having a joyous time. But I think what fostered this triangular connection was the hours we spent, inevitably, on set together. These are long days going to different parts, depending on the shoot. Going to Kananaskis or to a studio or to a live location. When you when you have like 12 to 16 hour days, it's difficult to not start to form some kind of a bond, just because you're sharing in this incredible labor of love.
Isabela, can you talk a bit about Dina's positivity? In the midst of everything that's going on, what do you think that still drives her?
Isabela Merced: I think I infused a lot of myself into the character. I found a good balance between me and Shannon Woodward's groundwork. The thing about funny people is they don't know they're funny most of the time. And I think just by channeling my authentic reaction to what probably I would do in an apocalyptic situation is kind of what you're getting in a way. I would just do things, and Craig would just start laughing, and I'd be like, What are you laughing at? He's like, You just did something really funny. I'm like, Okay, great, cool. I guess I'm the clown, and that is my role.
I think there is a darker side Dina. That humor is sort of masking a darker side of her that eventually will be revealed and shared in moments of vulnerability with Ellie. But, you know, you have to build that relationship. Yes, they're besties, but it is also the first time the audience is seeing it, so you have to be careful. A lot of who Dina is relies on how Ellie is and how they are together. There's a Dina, there's an Ellie, and there's Dellie. They create their own energy on screen together.
The final scene in this first episode is so identical to the one in the game, it's a little wild to see. What was it like on set?
Isabela Merced: Do you feel like, in retrospect, as though it was just one of those magical, cinematic days where everything went right? It was beautifully sparkling rain outside. We were in a church that was cozy. We would go off set after we were filming and serenade each other with our guitars: Bella, Young, and I. There was so much preciousness to that filming process that I used to think maybe it won't translate, but I think translated in the moment. And the beginning, as it was in the game, was so cinematic and and vulnerable and magical. So it was like everything aligned so beautifully.
Young Mazino: You're right. That was a very cool set of days when we were shooting there. That was pretty early on, but there was always a guitar in the green room and we would pass it around, sharing our songs.
Isabela Merced: We took Gustavo's guitar. Gustavo Santaolalla is the composer. We didn't know it was his guitar cause he wasn't on set yet. We were the ones playing it and then they were like, Where the fuck is Gustavo's guitar? Like, he's the guy who's supposed to be on camera in a single shot playing his little tune.
Young Mazino: I remember Craig's reaction. I was like, I'm sorry, I took the guitar...
Isabela Merced: There's a fun little easter egg in there too. The song they're playing, they mention Dina. It's really interesting. Gustavo really put in some wonderful easter eggs.
Was there any particular scene in episode 1 that made you feel like you couldn't believe they brought it to life?
Isabela Merced: The opening shot where they're pulling back behind Ellie's head and and you see the lights sort of cascading around her, and they're kind of blurry, and you kind of see Ellie's perspective of the world of Jackson, the town that she's a resident of, technically, but how isolated she is and Dina being that access channel for her...it's such a beautiful shot, in my opinion. It's one of my favorites of the whole first episode. Ellie is truly an outsider, and then you see Jesse, who's also an outsider, sort of go right to her and they're talking about it together.
Young Mazino: That's a great scene, and I love that it it's almost frame by frame from the game, which is great for the gamers. The tone of that scene and the warmth of everything happening there is such a human thing: the relationship that's budding between Ellie and Dina and Jesse feeling a little bit left down and skulking away. It's such a human normal societal phenomenon that I think once we depart from that, and things start to get fucked up, that contrast will be so incredible to watch. That's such a brilliant way to achieve this cinematic storytelling, where you have such a dynamic of of something human, and then stuff that happens.
You're getting the chance to work with such fantastic actors on this set. Was there a moment with any of them that stood out to you personally as a learning experience?
Young Mazino: I was so impressed by Bella being one on the call sheet, having to show the most days out of everyone at such a young age. To maintain a levity throughout it all, I think, is so rare especially in Hollywood or the entertainment industry. And same with Isabela to have this levity that I don't think is too common on sets, especially as the environments become more intense and high pressure. I tend to brood in corners and find my own little solitude. But I love to kind of siphon off the energy around me and it's nice to have that especially on the tough days.
Isabela Merced: I was very present in the scenes, but I don't think that I really got the bigger picture until I was in the post-production side of things. I got the little tipsy on a plane one day and I asked Craig if I could be nosy and go see post-production. And I ended up going there a lot, actually. I learned the most that I've ever learned in my whole career in that process, especially about the actors that I worked with. It's such a small view when you're just focused on getting your lines and hitting your mark, but I really saw you and how well rounded your character was. Dina only gets the perspective that Jesse shows her, so to see other scenes with Ellie only, I'm like, Oh, this is the Jesse that Dina probably fell in love with that she's not seeing now, because they're on the rocks.
And then on top of that, Pedro Pascal has so many micro nuances in his performance that he will just do, and his actions and his body language taught me so much. And then Catherine O'Hara is a beast of an actor. I mean, I knew that already, but in the show, it's...I really need her to be acknowledged for her performance. I think it is another level!
Young Mazino: Brilliant work, especially in the first episode.
Isabela Merced: She's insane!
Young Mazino: I remember reading the episode 1 script and seeing the scene between Pedro and Catherine. And I was like, I cannot wait to see this. And then I saw it, and it was even better than I expected.
Isabela Merced: And the little things in post-production where they'd be like, I need to hear the more the sound of the outside. Or I need to hear her on the left side. And I want to cut to him and that perfect tear that rolls down on his face. And it was just so cool, like the puzzling together of everything. I love puzzles!
Young Mazino: I didn't even know you can do that. I'm jealous that you got to do it. That's so cool! That's food for thought for my next thing.
Isabela Merced: It was the first time I ever did it. It was really amazing. Don't be afraid to ask!
Young Mazino: That's like the best film school!
Isabela Merced: I ended up going to the editing award with Timothy A. Good, who won the Emmy for the Bill and Frank episode, and we presented together. I've had this whole side story happening.
Young Mazino: Yeah, this whole side quest happening! What was I doing? That's food for thought for my next project!
The Last of Us is currently airing on HBO and streaming on Max every Sunday at 9 P.M. ET/PT.
