‘The Last of Us’ Merle Dandridge Teases Easter Eggs From the Video Game In the Show—The Attention to Detail ‘Leveled’ Her
The fable about Joel and Ellie In The Last of Us is one simple premise, says Merle Dandridge: “The core of this story is about love and what you do for love. The joy and destruction that love can bring, but also the happiness it can bring. And that is universal.”
The actor, who voiced Marlene in Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed, award-winning video games—The Last of Us: Part I (2013) Part II (2020)—has reprised her role once more in HBO’s anticipated Last of Us The television adaptation premiered on January 15, 20,23.
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The Last of Us 20 years after the collapse of civilization. Much of the global population has been decimated by a pandemic, a mutant strain of parasitic fungus that, when it invades a host, gradually replaces the host’s tissue with its own over the course of days. It quickly infiltrates the brain of the victim and eventually takes control.
You could call “the infected” zombies, but that wouldn’t really be doing them justice—Neil Druckmann (co-president of Naughty Dog) and his team of artists went to “great lengths to create a full biological cycle for these things” and the level of detail is astounding.
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What’s left of humankind is restricted to authoritarian quarantine zones (QZs) where disobedience is harshly punished. Joel, the weapons smuggler (played here by Pedro Pascal), still grieves the loss of Sarah twenty years later. Marlene Dandridge is the leader of the rebel militia group Fireflies. He meets Tess (Anna Torv), while they are on a mission together. Marlene approaches Joel and Tess with a proposal: Take Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14 year old, out of the QZ and to a remote Fireflies base. In return, Marlene will give them double their supplies.
Joel and Tess risk their lives to save this troubled teenager. What’s so special about her? They quickly learn she’s somehow immune to the disease and that could help researchers find a cure. So they set out on a perilous and difficult journey across the country. The real heart of this story, however, is not the dangers Ellie and Joel encounter along the way but the relationship that forms between a grieving father and another young life he’s sworn to protect.
This show will be watched by some people who have never seen it. the games, which is unfortunate in this writer’s opinion, but you certainly don’t have to have played the game to enjoy the show. In fact, actors in the show who hadn’t played it were encouraged not to. Those who have played the video games, however, will be absolutely floored by how faithful and sensitive the show’s creators Craig Mazin (ChernobylDruckmann and Dandridge were both present at the source material. Dandridge, too, was there. “I get emotional just thinking about it because, reading every script, I felt a moment where my entire spirit rose to it,” she reflects. “I will tell you that there were times when I would walk on set—I did a lot of hanging out because I just couldn’t believe how wonderful and beautiful it was… I could not believe the accuracy.”
You’ve played this character twice before—once 10 years ago and another more recently in the Part II: Last of Us. How did you discover the HBO adaptation?
Neil Druckmann was the first person to tell me about it. He has been an amazing creative collaborator over the past 10 years. It seems to me that when you find a creative partnership that is so nurturing, you try and lean into it. To that was added the notion that he felt strongly that I should participate in it.
What did you bring to this character that was new or different from what you’d done previously?
Craig was able bring a new understanding to Marlene, which deepened the relationship between Neil and me. He saw there was a weight and weariness. Strength, determination and a desire for progress in the cause of the Fireflies as well as to be a beacon of hope and encouragement for all people. But living in this hopeless environment for 20 years, there’s a heaviness that comes with it.
Are there any details that you’d like to share?
Marlene’s wig was a big topic of discussion. Every single detail was so thought out and what I loved was, as soon as we put the first version of Marlene’s wig, Craig immediately came over to the hair trailer, he Facetimes Neil Druckmann and all three of us talked about it. Both of them went back and forth about the slightest details like how much gray was in Marlene’s wig. I can only imagine if that’s how we talked about just the degree of gray in Marlene’s wig, how many conversations like that happened in every crevice of the show?
Can you name any Easter Eggs enthusiasts to watch out for?
Just thinking about it makes me emotional. Every script I read brought out a moment in my spirit that made me cry. I had several moments where I was like, “I can’t believe what I just read.” Further down in the course of the show, for what was put on the page for Marlene, I could say I had a spiritual moment.
This deep abiding gratitude for myself, for the character, and then also for the fans that understand some of the things they’re going to get to see on the screen that may have been a tiny footnote but a powerful cornerstone to the story. As I was walking to the set, I remembered feeling emotional as I prepared for something heavy. I happened upon the scene as I was walking into the village. It leveled my.
Because of who was involved?
Because of the events. Because I am attached to the story. Every time I see something new and exciting, I’m extraordinarily moved as a fan. I feel the love of the game.
From what I’ve seen, I was blown away by how accurately the show has recreated some of those environments and it’s absolutely gorgeous. How was it to walk on the set every day?
It was clear to me when I walked onto the set, and it will be obvious to fans as well. Everyone who was brought on board had a deep and fundamental concern for this story. The fact that there was that level of cohesion, that level of passion, means that no one was just stepping in. Everyone was buying in to the power of this world.
But, I will briefly discuss those fans that are so passionate about this IP that nothing can satisfy them. Are you ever conscious of them?
There’s an awareness but you can’t create art anticipating somebody’s reaction. I’ll also say we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for that kind of passion and attachments and, dare I say ownership, that the fans have over the story and this world so for that, I’m extremely grateful. I think most people will be delighted. If not on their first watch, they’ll go back and watch it again.
I hesitate to use the phrase “strong female characters” here because, at this point, that feels so reductive, but so much of this story is driven by women.
Female characters are strong and very capable. I’ll just speak for Marlene. She is fiercely determined in her support for her cause and yet, she also has strength in her vulnerability. This was something that I found very important. It showed me that you can be a leader, a torchbearer, and that resistance against an impenetrable government or regime. You can be that—a badass soldier. She is walking through every day with a deep, wounded vulnerability.
There’s this one part in the game where Ellie discovers a girl’s journal from before the pandemic; stressing about superficial stuff like boys and clothes, and Ellie says, “Is this what they used to worry about?”. It’s amazing how this puts things in perspective.
I believe in our understanding, particularly the transformation that everyone went through with the COVID-19 epidemic; people are more aware of their emotional blindspots.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
The Last of Us Available to stream on HBO Max. Every Sunday at 9 p.m., new episodes are released. ET. Here’s how to watch it for free.
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