Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie's mother in the series and voiced the character in the games, admitted that she understands the fans, but does not always easily tolerate their criticism.
Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in the original Naughty Dog games, commented on the mixed reaction to the second season of HBO's "The Last of Us" series. The actress, who appeared in the show as Anna, Ellie's mother, admitted that she understands the emotionality of the fans, but it is not easy to accept such harsh criticism.
In an interview with The Direct, Johnson noted that The Last of Us story evokes strong feelings in the audience. According to her, the passion of the fans is felt in different ways: "Sometimes it's very pleasant, and sometimes it's not." She added that she understands the desire of viewers to see the story exactly as they imagine it.
The actress emphasized that she loves The Last of Us "in any format" and is happy to be part of the adaptation. At the same time, she admitted that it is important for the creators that the work is liked by the audience.
"Sometimes it's hard when you create things like this: on your side, you put all your passion and enthusiasm into it and hope that it will coincide with the expectations of the audience. Sometimes this does not happen. And it's hard, because ultimately, when working on anything, you want people to like it and love it as much as you do,"
Filming of the third season of "The Last of Us" should begin in the summer of 2026. Showrunner Craig Mazin has not yet decided whether it will be large-scale and final, or whether the remaining material will be divided into two more compact seasons.
