Actor Pedro Pascal has been struggling to come to terms with his character Joel Miller’s devastating death in the HBO series adaptation of The Last of Us. In a recent interview, Pascal revealed that he had been mentally prepared for the twist, but it didn’t make it any easier.
Pascal said he is currently in “active denial” and finds it hard to accept that Joel will never appear on screen again as the character. He has become emotionally bonded with his fellow cast members, particularly Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pascal explained that while he knew the twist was coming, it still had a significant impact on him. “I’m in active denial,” he said. “I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over.”
Co-creator Craig Mazin spoke about why they chose to kill off Joel’s character at the end of season one. He acknowledged that it was a risk to torment fans, but felt it was necessary to make the story feel natural.
Pascal and Ramsey both struggled with reading scenes that led up to Joel’s death. Pascal said he cried while playing the scene, while Ramsey sobbed while reading her script.
The decision to kill off Joel was reportedly driven by a desire to avoid “tormenting” fans who had been eagerly anticipating his return in future seasons.
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/pedro-pascal-in-active-denial-after-the-last-of-us-twist-1235321720