What was it like to return to the character of Ellie after several years and how has your perspective on her evolved over time? Johnson got on the phone with THR ahead of the game’s release to talk about her chemistry with voice actor Shannon Woodward (Dina), how she connected during emotional scenes, and the “freedom” of video game acting.

Ultimately, she was excited to breathe life into the character again. “We’re seeing Ellie in a much darker place,” Johnson explains, adding that she had some initial nerves about revisiting the role. Now 19, she has experienced loss, wrestled with confusing romantic feelings, bit her tongue when a bout of jealousy hit, and unleashed everything in her power - both her arsenal of weapons and the “power” of her ferocious determination - to save those she cares for deeply. Not only is the world itself emptier and more desolate than before - with more roaming enemies, traps and concerning letters penned by characters long dead - but Ellie’s journey is even more personal and urgent. In Part II, everything is much, much worse. She was accompanied on her journey by Joel (Troy Baker), a smuggler who lost his own daughter years earlier. In the original game, Ellie was a child navigating a dangerous wasteland of humans infected with a parasitic fungus that transformed them into bloodthirsty zombies. Johnson is returning to the role after seven years with Neil Druckman-directed sequel The Last of Us Part II, which Sony released June 19.

Ellie the last of us face model