Gabriel Luna on Tommy's goodbye to Joel in 'The Last of Us' and its double meaning

This nonfiction contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Season 2 of “The Last of Us.”

“Give Sarah my love.”

Spoken successful a dependable inflected with exhaustion and grief, they’re the lone words that Tommy, played by the histrion Gabriel Luna, is capable to muster to Joel (Pedro Pascal), whose lifeless assemblage lies shrouded connected a array successful a makeshift morgue successful Jackson.

As Tommy’s eyes good up and helium runs a bedewed cloth against Joel’s skin, we get a close-up of Joel’s limb and the old, breached subject ticker connected his wrist. It’s a poignant awesome that brings america backmost to the precise opening of “The Last of Us,” erstwhile we conscionable Joel, Tommy and Sarah. It was Sarah who repaired the ticker arsenic a day acquisition to her father, and her abrupt decease was cardinal to Joel’s grief. And present that grief passes connected to Tommy arsenic helium says goodbye to his brother.

For this country that opens Episode 3 of the 2nd play of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” Luna says helium tapped into the grief that he’s experienced implicit the years aft losing adjacent household members, including his gramps successful 2013.

“I retrieve being the lone 1 successful that chapel, walking up to my grandfather’s coffin, and that’s what I had successful my caput erstwhile I was shooting the country … the young woman gives maine the rag to lavation [Joel’s] body, and she exits. Now I’m the lone 1 successful there,” helium says. “But arsenic I’m walking up to Joel’s body, that’s what I was reasoning of — my grandpa and being the lone 1 there.”

“I’ve been to a batch of funerals successful my beingness truthful it felt precise familiar,” helium adds.

If Episode 2 was the depiction of occurrence and uncontrollable rage — with Tommy flaming down an unrelenting monster known arsenic a bloater, and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) torturing and sidesplitting Joel — Episode 3 is the opposite. It’s pensive and introspective astir what was and what volition be, overmuch similar Luna successful this infinitesimal of his vocation connected 1 of TV’s biggest shows.

“I’ve been to a batch of funerals successful my beingness truthful it felt precise familiar,” says Gabriel Luna astir the opening country of Episode 3 successful the 2nd play of “The Last of Us.”

(Liane Hentscher / HBO)

After appearing successful tiny indie films and doing signifier work, Luna was formed arsenic the pb successful the El Rey bid “Matador.” Though “Matador” lone lasted a season, the histrion went connected to articulation ABC’s lauded Marvel bid “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” arsenic Robbie Reyes, a.k.a. Ghost Rider. In 2019, helium starred successful “Terminator: Dark Fate” arsenic Rev-9, wherever helium went caput to caput with the archetypal cybernetic assassin played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. That led to a relation successful Netflix’s “FUBAR” with Schwarzenegger erstwhile again, and past “The Last of Us.” (Peacock’s “Devil successful Disguise: John Wayne Gacy” and Season 2 of Prime Video’s “The Terminal List” are among his upcoming projects.)

Luna and I conscionable to speech astir his relation successful the postapocalyptic bid astatine Bludso’s BBQ connected La Brea Avenue, a favourite edifice of his for a elemental reason: It reminds him of home. Luna was raised successful Austin, Texas, and if you’ve ever been, smoked meats are practically a nutrient radical there. It’s 2 days aft Episode 2 has aired, and helium knows the shockwave it has sent to viewers. But he’s astatine ease, wearing a crisp outfit of acheronian Japanese denim and achromatic leather boots that complement the Texas-themed eating room. He speaks softly but passionately astir his enactment and the amusement arsenic we converse earlier a repast of brisket, cornbread and an assortment of sides.

Here, successful a speech edited for magnitude and clarity, Luna discusses the aftermath of Joel’s death, however the country wherever helium says goodbye evolved, and wherefore arsenic a Latino histrion it matters that helium avoids stereotypical roles.

There’s been a batch of absorption to Episode 2, wherever we spot Tommy clasp the fort and Joel die. Have you been pursuing it?

It’s been a tornado of a mates of days. I was astatine WrestleMania erstwhile the occurrence aired. I near … a small aboriginal to drawback a flight, and erstwhile I landed, my telephone was perfectly lighting up similar a Christmas tree, conscionable everyone calling and saying, “Oh, that was amazing. Congratulations.” When you work the script, you knew that determination was imaginable determination for it to beryllium thing extraordinary. Then erstwhile you got determination connected the time — we spent astir 2 months shooting the 2nd occurrence with Mark Mylod, our astonishing manager of [shows like] “Succession” and “Game of Thrones.” And then, of course, Craig Mazin and Neil [Druckmann], the geniuses down the full thing.

You commencement to spot it travel together. We mightiness really beryllium doing thing that’ll spell down successful history, not conscionable the large conflict sequence, but besides conscionable the iconography of that Joel country astatine the end. All those things unneurotic were gonna marque for a seismic reaction, oregon astatine slightest I hoped shooting this a twelvemonth ago. I’m sitting present 2 days aft that, and it each came to pass. Everybody reacted the mode we thought they might, and radical are inactive watching it. I’m definite if I cheque my telephone determination volition beryllium different twelve texts from folks.

[Later, Luna flashes his phone, which is filled with rows of notifications.]

For me, it’s unforgettable. I inactive deliberation astir those moments. Craig Mazin erstwhile said, “You know, this is the 1 that they’re going to retrieve america for.” I deliberation helium was right. And if this is 1 of the large things I’m remembered for — I couldn’t beryllium much proud.

Gabriel Luna successful the 2nd occurrence of Season 2 of HBO’s “The Last of Us.” “If this is 1 of the large things I’m remembered for — I couldn’t beryllium much proud,” helium says. (Liane Hentscher / HBO)

Did Craig and Neil speech to you astir the divergence from the video-game storyline for your character? [In the game, Tommy is with Joel erstwhile he’s killed.]

Towards the extremity of the archetypal season, I told them, “You know, it ever rubbed maine the incorrect mode that Tommy was knocked out, wholly incapacitated during Joel’s murder. Is determination a anticipation that we displacement things around?” Craig’s like, “You cognize what? I got an idea.”

Right earlier the onslaught successful 2023, Craig sends maine a big, agelong text, explaining however it each is going to spell down, however Tommy is replaced with Dina astatine the country of Joel’s murder, and is present successful Jackson with his wife, Maria. The full municipality is trying to past this onslaught and originally, successful the text, there’s similar 2 oregon 3 bloaters. We changeable it arsenic if we were being attacked by 2 oregon three. We had to shave a batch of it down. I conscionable got goosebumps speechmaking it. My bosom was beating conscionable speechmaking this text.

The information that this alteration was made based disconnected of input from maine and talking to Craig and everybody other — possibly they had designs of doing that before, but I conscionable emotion them truthful overmuch for being truthful unfastened to the possibilities.

I consciousness that closeness shows. On the press tour, you guys look to truly get along.

To emotion the radical you enactment with, that’s an unthinkable blessing. There’s existent emotion there, adjacent among the radical who are onscreen nemeses, mortal enemies.

Have you talked to Pedro oregon anyone other successful the formed since?

Craig has a substance thread called “The Crazy of Us,” and truthful we’re each conscionable talking to each other. It’s breathtaking present for the 2nd episode, but we got a batch much to come, we’re conscionable getting started. But we thought we’d springiness them a bully small daze to the bosom close astatine the beginning.

“It’s breathtaking present for the 2nd episode, but we got a batch much to come, we’re conscionable getting started,” Gabriel Luna says.

(JSquared Photography / For The Times)

In Episode 3, you’re 1 of the archetypal characters we see. What was going done your caput erstwhile you were filming?

We talked astir my gramps earlier successful this interview. I retrieve erstwhile helium passed away. Peter Hoar was the manager for [this episode], and helium did the Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett occurrence [“Long, Long Time”] past season. I conscionable breathed and fto it happen.

Pedro was not really there, it was the assemblage double. They asked me,”Would you similar to person him successful afloat makeup?” “I would. Just to spot each the damage, right?” And they enactment him successful afloat makeup, his eyes swollen and bloody, truthful erstwhile I assistance the shroud, I could spot and person a carnal reaction.

I volition accidental 1 much happening regarding that. We had a batch of dialog determination that I’m gladsome they cut. Because each you truly request to accidental is, “Give Sarah my love.”

Was that successful the script?

That was successful the script. There was a full different spot successful the publication [about Ellie]. She’s OK, she’s wounded bad, but she’s going to beryllium each right. And maine promising to instrumentality attraction of her. Which didn’t request to beryllium said due to the fact that I’m the lone happening she has left.

But from this point, it’s present Bella [Ramsey] and Kaitlyn’s dance. Me, successful a supporting capacity, a small spot much cardinal moving forward, but … these are the characters that commencement moving the communicative forward. It was besides this absorbing treble meaning, arsenic I was saying these words, it’s not lone volition I instrumentality attraction of Ellie, but we volition instrumentality attraction of the amusement moving forward.

Rutina Wesley, who plays Tommy’s woman Maria, with Gabriel Luna successful “The Last of Us.”

(Liane Hentscher / HBO)

This occurrence besides shows the opposition betwixt Tommy and Joel. You’re married, you person a kid, you’re the municipality leader. You’re trying to decide, bash we spell avenge him?

I emotion however overmuch much torn Tommy has to beryllium to marque the choices he’s astir to make. My responsibilities to my woman [Maria, played by Rutina Wesley], to my son, to this city, extremity up superseding my tendency to spell and assistance with my brother. You tin spot this antithetic broadside of Tommy that you don’t spot successful the game, wherever helium is simply a small spot much untethered, impulsive.

I got to person this truly fantastic country with Catherine O’Hara [who plays Gail, a psychotherapist] astir what it means to inherit her [Ellie]. To person to recognize what she’s going done and to emotion her, but besides emotion my brother, but also, erstwhile does it stop? Could we take close present to crook the different feature [and] prevention a batch of people’s futures and a batch of people’s heartache? Sometimes you can’t. That’s the full acquisition of the story. It’s astir forgiveness. But however overmuch volition you endure on the way, until you larn that lesson?

Why bash you deliberation radical link with the bid truthful much? There are immoderate parallels to the existent world, similar the pandemic. There’s a batch of part successful our country.

I deliberation that those are large introduction points for people. The diverseness of the cast, not lone successful the show, but besides successful the game, gives radical entree points arsenic well.

Everybody successful “The Last of Us” is connected the aforesaid level due to the fact that we’re each warring this looming menace supra america [and] we’re each contending with it successful antithetic ways, reaching to emotion and community, subject force, religion — each these assorted ways of coping. There’s thing to the diverseness of it each but besides to the sameness of everyone and that we’re each successful this together. But besides I deliberation radical similar stories [that] enactment themselves successful our boots … however would I woody with constricted resources and nary longer abide by the laws of antheral and laws of nature?

“That’s the full acquisition of the story. It’s astir forgiveness,” says Gabriel Luna.

(JSquared Photography/For The Times)

As idiosyncratic who is Latino, bash you consciousness similar your upbringing helped signifier your vocation oregon person a manus successful the roles that you’ve chosen?

The pridefulness and the enactment and the emotion of a Mexican American household fortified me. The civilization enriched my experience. On the different broadside of that coin, the practice wrong media and however they look astatine america was the other of that successful a batch of ways. So it was thing wherever I carried the civilization and I carried my pridefulness successful my inheritance … and it was that pridefulness that won’t fto maine conscionable instrumentality immoderate they [the industry] wanted to give. You know, I wasn’t going to play a narcotraficante. I wasn’t going to play gangster, and adjacent though I emotion our language, I wasn’t going to play characters that lone person to talk Spanish due to the fact that of the mode we look.

I wanted to beryllium everyone’s hero. I wanted Black, Asian, white, each of those kids to look to maine and spot them spot themselves successful me. I said nary to a batch of things that were much traditional, which was what the manufacture was offering and it ended up being a bully happening due to the fact that I was disposable erstwhile the parts that subverted that came along, similar Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider, the “Terminator” movie and this one, “The Last of Us.”

You person done rather a spot of genre work. Is it thing that funny you?

I’m a kid who grew up with each of that successful ‘80s culture, comic books, Ninja Turtles, “Batman ‘89,” “Jurassic Park,” each that worldly … the precursors to each the Marvels and the video crippled adaptations.

Because of my carnal ability, I’ve been capable to spell into these benignant of roles that necessitate a batch of enactment elements, which are a large staple of these genre pictures. I deliberation that’s what I love. I’m lucky. I’m gladsome that I get to bash these types of things that person these large followings and truly passionate fans. I’ve ever said it’s successful bully hands. I tried to easiness their concerns by letting them know, possibly not straight earlier we ever committed to the screen, but surely aft the information that I emotion this aforesaid mode you do. And I emotion “The Last of Us.” I emotion the Ghost Rider. I emotion the 40-year past of the Terminator. I don’t privation to messiness it up conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic you don’t privation maine to messiness it up. I truly anticipation that radical tin spot that it is successful the nurturing hands of idiosyncratic who truly loves this benignant of storytelling.