The Last of Us is one of the most highly-awarded franchises of all time, and it features some world-class acting that effectively brings to life the characters on screen. In this breakdown, we’re taking a look at the central character in the series and taking the opportunity to answer the question, ‘who voices Ellie in The Last of Us?’
Who Voices Ellie in the Game?
Since 2013, and the release of The Last of Us, Ellie has been voiced and motion-captured by Ashley Johnson, an American actress and voice actor. Despite being around thirty years of age when The Last of Us was released, Johnson perfectly portrayed Ellie, a young teenager, as she journeyed across the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the United States alongside her protector, Joel.
Johnson has enjoyed a far-stretching career that began in 1990 when she was just seven years old. Since then, she has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows, and she has lent her voice to a range of characters in gaming. However, Johnson’s portrayal of Ellie in The Last of Us has arguably been her most famous role.
In 2013 and 2014, Johnson secured BAFTA Games Awards for her acting, and in 2020, she picked up nominations at both the BAFTAs and The Game Awards. There are expectations that a third Last of Us game will be released eventually, and there’s every chance that Johnson will once again assume the role.
So, that’s who voices Ellie in The Last of Us as a game franchise, but what about the popular HBO series?
Who Plays Ellie in the Show?
In the HBO series that debuted in January 2023, Ellie is played by Bella Ramsey, a British actor whose career began in earnest in 2016. At just nineteen years of age (when the show premiered), Bella Ramsey is much younger than Johnson, but that’s because they’re putting up a live-action portrayal of Ellie and must look – as well as sound – the part.
With credits to their name such as Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials, the young Ramsey has proven to be a prodigy in acting, and securing the role of Ellie propelled them into the limelight, alongside Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel.
Like Johnson, Ramsey is a BAFTA award-winning performer, and there’s undoubtedly a bright future in store for the young star, especially considering The Last of Us’ television series has been greenlit for future seasons.
The Last of Us is a PlayStation-exclusive franchise that has seen releases take place on PC platforms.
