The Last of Us has worked hard to establish itself as one of the greatest post-apocalyptic franchises of all time. It features some of the best acting by some incredible performers, and it has won hundreds of awards over the years. Now, we’re taking a look at a specific, key portion of the series’ cast, identifying who voices Joel in The Last of Us.
Who Voices Joel in the Game?
Since 2013, Joel Miller, a smuggler and the protector of Ellie, has been voiced exclusively by Troy Baker. It’s one of the actor’s most recognisable roles, but it’s far from being his only credit, as by far and wide, Baker is one of the most iconic voice actors in the business.
His career as a voice actor began in 2004 when he picked up two roles in BloodRayne 2. Since then, the Dallas-born voice actor has grown exponentially in terms of acting credits, securing roles in television, film, animation, and gaming. He has hundreds of credits to his name and has delivered some of the most monumental performances in gaming, such as:
- Joel Miller in The Last of Us
- Jake Muller in Resident Evil 6
- Booker DeWitt in BioShock Infinite
- The President in Saints Row IV
- Delsin Rowe in InFamous Second Son
- The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins
- Talion in Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
- Pagan Min in Far Cry 4
- Revolver Ocelot in MGS 5: The Phantom Pain
- Agent Jones in Fortnite
And that’s just a few of Baker’s most iconic roles!
So, that’s who voices Joel in The Last of Us as a game series, but what about the television show?
Who Plays Joel in the Show?
In the popular HBO series that kicked off in January 2023, Joel Miller is played by Pedro Pascal, a Chilean actor with almost three decades in the business. He has been acting since 1996 when he was around twenty years of age, and since 2023, he’s delivered the on-screen, live-action role of Joel Miller.
It could be argued that Pascal prefers television-based roles to movies, as most notably, he has starred in the likes of Law & Order, Game of Thrones, CSI, Homeland, Narcos, The Mandalorian, and of course, The Last of Us.
By April 2023, Pascal had only delivered one role in gaming, and that was the character of Paolo in Dishonored 2. He admitted in an interview that he ‘didn’t have the skill to play the games,’ and that he didn’t want to even experience The Last of Us on PlayStation for fear he would try to imitate Baker’s Joel.
Pascal’s delivery of Joel in the HBO franchise has been monumental, and fans have welcomed him into the role. Alongside Bella Ramsay, who plays Ellie in the television series, Pascal has worked to ensure that future seasons of the show are guaranteed.
The Last of Us is a PlayStation-exclusive series with some re-releases on PC platforms.
