Thandiwe Newton’s daughter on The Last of Us pressure

The Last of Us: Official trailer for new HBO series

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The Last of Us is finally coming to screens this Sunday night and is already set to become one of the biggest TV events of 2023. HBO’s brand new post-apocalyptic drama features a star-studded cast, although rising star Nico Parker admitted she struggled to process the overwhelming level of expectations for what is hoped to be the best adaptation of a video game ever.

Warning – the following article contains major spoilers for The Last of Us.

Thandiwe Newton’s daughter Nico has admitted she felt the pressure of taking on such an important role in HBO’s The Last of Us series.

Based on the bestselling PlayStation series, the TV adaptation follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) who escorts teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across post-apocalyptic America.

Nico will take on the role of Sarah, Joel’s 14-year-old daughter who played an integral part in the original game’s opening sequence.

The actress credited showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for keeping the cast level-headed during the production of such a hotly-anticipated series.

“Craig and Neil and everyone were incredibly good at keeping the set away from that mounting pressure,” she recalled.

“It’s more like the internal, “Oh my God, am I doing justice to this game?

“‘Am I doing justice to this character?” But I think it was just trying to separate the two.’”

At the start of the original game, which was released on the PlayStation three in 2013, Joel’s world is rocked when Sarah is killed at the beginning of the apocalyptic event.

Ellie later becomes like a surrogate daughter to the reluctant hero when she’s discovered to be immune to the virus which has taken over the US.

“The show is one thing, the game is the other,” Nico told Deadline.

“And to keep the two separate was the main aim, but it was definitely incredibly stressful.”

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Fans are already aware there will be some huge changes made to the TV series, including the nature of the spore-like infection turning the population into zombies.

However, the first few episodes have already received glowing reviews from critics, so The Last of Us fans should be assured the live-action adaptation is in safe hands.

Nico was also in safe hands with her co-star Pedro, who ensured the young actress was at ease during their emotional father-daughter scenes.

“He is wonderful,” she told Looper. “The first time we spoke was on Zoom, and I remember being [like], ‘Oh my god.’”

“Then I joined [the call], and within five minutes, I was like, ‘Oh, this is Pedro.’

“Immediately, he’s so good at making people feel comfortable, [so] that element of [being starstruck] wore off quite quickly.

“But I get starstruck all the time. I’m pinching myself constantly.”

Sadly, Nico admitted she wasn’t able to tease any spoilers for The Mandalorian from her co-star Pedro, who will return for the third season of the hit Star Wars series in March.

The Last of Us premieres Sunday, January 15 on HBO in the USA and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.

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