Spoiler Alert: The story contains spoilers from Season 2, episode 6 of "Our Last" and is now streaming on Max.
When Joe Pantoliano first heard from his agent that he played a role in The Last of Us Season 2, he was unfamiliar with the HBO series, let alone video games based on it. In fact, at first, he thought the proposal was entirely aimed at a different series.
"I thought it was another show, 'This is us'," Pantoliano said. "Ken Olin is my executive (producer). He is my old friend. I thought, 'Oh, so good, I love Ken!'" Pantoliano quickly realized his mistake given that "This is Us" ended in 2022. “And I read the material, and I thought, it was a very challenging little part.”
Pantoliano knows from the small part of the challenge. The experienced character actor won an Emmy for his role in HBO's Soprano, having appeared in over 140 film and television projects since the 1970s (from "M*A*S*H" to "Goonies" to "goonies" to "matrix" to "matrix" to "bad boy" to "bad boy" franchise), almost always supported on-screen time and had a high impact on-screen. Of course this is the case with his role in episode 6 of The Last One. Pantoliano plays Eugene, whom he first mentioned in the season 2 premiere, met with Eugene's wife, Catherine O'Hara, and during which we learn that Joel must kill Eugene.
In episode 6 (covering the events of Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the five years between the events of Season 1 and Season 2, we see what actually happened. When Joel takes Ellie to her first patrol, they encounter Eugene, who is just bitten by an infected person and will succumb to Cordyceps fungus within an hour. The agreement established by the Wyoming Council in Jackson shows that Eugene must kill Eugene on the spot, but he begs Joel and Ellie to take him to the exterior so that he can spend the last moment with Gail. Joel refuses Eugene’s request, but Ellie convinces Joel to break the rules and bring him back. Before she leaves the horse, she makes Joel promise not to hurt Eugene—the promise Joel has unintentionally reserved.
Instead, he led Eugene to a quiet place on Mountain Lake and told Eugene that he would master any last words before Eugene killed Gail.
"Her last words?!" Eugene screamed. "No, no, no. I need it she Last words! for I! ”
In an interview type Regarding this episode, Pantoliano (Joey Pants) is all fans, friends and colleagues know about it - revealing that Pascal doesn't show up while saying these words. He also talks about a full character with only a few scenes, why he hasn't seen any "The Last Man" yet - and what happened when Pascal first met him.
Well, you get the background of the world and what causes this. The ability to survive so far and then when you see the consequences. I had no visual visuals and then I got to the first day of work and there was this beautiful forest - the way they lit it and the machines they used to atomize it, felt real. Most of the time, you're in a CGI suit and surrounded by green screens, which is almost like when I started in the theater, and the teacher will let you focus on creating behavior. If you are in a cold state, it will cause cold, right? But you are this element, so it helps the show.
No. They were supposed to send this episode last night, and obviously they did. The answer is, I have episodes, but I don't know how to play, and then I have to get an app. Then I got the app and I wanted to put it on the big screen, but I can only play it on this (Raise his phone), I don't want to watch it. ((Throw down the phone. ) Technology is not friendly to the elderly.
No, but it's a small part of the classic. The agent said: "Listen, it's not a big part, but they Speech It's always about you. “So, I’m the whole process, it’s a special effects team, it’s the work of artists and crafts.
Well, first of all, about five years ago, I was the victim of a collision between two cars in my corner. The car was hit by a t bone, and I was hit with a concussion - the hospital. So my experience part has been removed.
So, Bella is in "Game of Thrones", right? I haven't seen it yet. I don't have HBO. Even if I'm on "Sogreat", I don't have HBO. Pedro, I've seen and admired his work - like, this is a good actor. So Craig and Neil brought me into the scene. Seeing Bella - "Hi." Then I saw Pedro and said, "Hi, it's great to know you", and suddenly he started moving forward, "Joy Pants! Joy Pants!" He started hugging me and kissing me, "How are you doing?!" I thought, Oh my god!
Because even if I No In my mind, you see and meet a lot of people, and you forget, have we worked together? Or are we not working together? So he can read (that). He was like, "Don't you fucking remember me?! I've been to yours housefor the sake of Christ! I've been to yours apartment exist tramp! ” Then he said, “Sam Weisman? Drama reading? "Now That Pedro is 21 years old. A thin child. I remember hebut 25 years later, there is still the whole person. Later that day, he picked up a picture. He said, "Look, when did I read. This is a picture of you and me." I was like, Saint Christ, yes, I remember that guy. So it was great to re-recognize yourself with him. We went out for supper, like there was no time to shrink, except that he is now a big movie star. I'm the kind of "celebrity" I walk around you and it takes 10 steps to get you together, and you turn around and say, "Not that..." Pedro, they can scout him 10 feet forward He passed.
I know this was explained to me, but I don't remember it. I focus more on what I need. You know, "Yes, I've kind of got it, yes, I have to be destroyed, but my request is not unreasonable." That's what I focused on, convinced them to approve my last request.
Only when the material is weak. It's almost actor-proof when it's all on the page. You can't fuck it because it's well written. You ask four questions: Who am I? Where am I? What do I want? Where am I from? It feels natural right there on the page. With Bella and Pedro, you feel like there is a relationship that these people have known each other for a long time and have commented on it. It's always hard to be a guest actor on the show. I've been on both sides of these ranges and these performers are so tempting. This removes a lot of anxiety you don't need - although it's a good anxiety for the role I play.
A lot of the work I do is feed my kids and pay the rent. So a lot of them are underdeveloped, uncultured trash that paid me a good salary to finish my next job. So injecting life into part of these one-dimensional characters becomes part of my MO. But that's not the case, you know, that's it (pause) is emotionally challenging.
We did it many times. Neil really took me to the mission. He is a great director and he will just say: “Again,” “Again,” “Again,” and “Again.” Almighty God, I murdered my entire family. My dog is in that scene. My parents. The person I lost. I just brought everyone into that scene.
They did find this place. But that day, these bugs hatched. We had to walk and talk in another area first, and then like uphill half a mile, everyone went down: "We can't shoot, we have bugs." They all had bee collector coverage, and I said, "What? Like, bees?" They said, "No, little bugs. They don't bite people. There are only thousands of bugs." So they were sure we couldn't shoot, we had to come back and they're going to do CGI. But then I got sick. I went home and I got a part of the flu. Part B is really bad, so I can't fly back and shoot. When we did the last scene, they had taken Pedro’s stuff, so I did it with a photo. I was so frustrated that I couldn't do it with him. Now it's a performance!
This interview has been edited and condensed.