Posted in: HBO, TV | Tagged: the last of us

The Last of Us: Lamanna on Mazin's Supportive Set, Kat/Ellie Dynamic

Noah Lamanna discussed their journey as Kat in HBO's The Last of Us, working with Craig Mazin and Bella Ramsey, and much more.

Noah Lamanna has done so much in over a decade on screen, appearing in some of the biggest TV franchises like American Gods, See, The Umbrella Academy, and having recurring roles on Paramount+'s Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and MGM+'s Beacon 23. On top of their upcoming appearance in the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia, Lamanna appears in HBO's The Last of Us as Kat, one of the survivors in Jackson, Wyoming alongside Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in season two in the premiere episode and the latest in "Episode 6." The character also shares a significant meaning in Ellie's life as her ex before her current relationship with Dina (Isabella Merced). Lamanna spoke to Bleeding Cool about joining the series as a fan of the Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann series, but not following the PlayStation games that inspired it, their prior experience riding horses as part of physical prep, Mazin's supportive set, and their chemistry with Ramsey. The following contains minor spoilers for "Episode 6."

The Last of Us: Noah Lamanna on Prepping for the Series, Kat and Ellie's Relationship

Bleeding Cool: How did you get involved with 'The Last of Us?'

I got an audition sent to me, I did a tape, and it was a pretty quick turnaround. Then, magically, I was booked, and I was off on the adventure.

There's obviously a lot of build to the season two premiere episode. How did you prep as Kat, and was there anything physical, intense, or mentally that you had to go through?

Yeah, it was actually really exciting. I got the opportunity to train on the horses out in British Columbia before we shot, and I rode horses as a kid, but it's been a hot minute since I was on a horse. The process of learning that skill again was a little bit humbling. I had an incredible time out on a ranch and mission with the horse trainer Danny Virtue. I got to trail ride with real-life cowboys, and it was a real-life high point for sure.

Have you had a chance to play the game before filming?

No, I'm not a gamer, so I had not played the game. I was a fan of the first season, so I was already caught up, and as a viewer, I looked forward to the second season.

What's it like working with Craig and Neil as creatives?

Oh, incredible. It helps you trust yourself, knowing that Craig Mazin is at the helm of the show. It takes a lot of pressure off, because you know he's going to make the right choice, so you can release that uncertainty of asking, "Was that a good take? Did we get the shot?" I don't know if I delivered there because I trust if Craig says we got the shot, we got the shot.

For some reference, I did see the premiere episode, and your next episode is number six. I wanted to ask how the series approached Kat and Ellie's relationship since it wasn't explored much in the games.

Yeah, we get a bit of a look back into what the relationship was like when it was still young and romantic before we got sour. It's a refreshing, funny moment that we get to see with the characters that are a little bit few and far between on this show, with so much trauma and chaos happening all over. We do get a nice flashback with these two characters.

What's it like sharing the screen with Bella, and what were they like?

Yeah, Bella's wicked. They're super cool, down-to-earth, so great to work with, very chill under the incredibly demanding circumstances of this show. Obviously, everyone's going through the wringer a little bit, but Bella especially. They work so hard and are so talented. It's cool watching them work, and it was nice to get to know them a little bit as a person. They're especially for someone so young; they're cool.

Aside from the script, did you both play to the scene, or did you have like a little backstory to pull each other that helped with the chemistry?

I am a big "book work" actor, so I do a lot of writing stuff out for myself – the majority of it, nobody ever actually sees. I did a lot of writing things out and imagining the last five years between us, and what my life looks like in Jackson, and then… doing that kind of prep work to get us to where we end up.

How would you compare working on this to everything else you've done? Was it surreal to be a part of such a franchise? Did it feel like another day in the office, or did you feel the pressure throughout?

No [laughs], it did not feel like another day at the office. It was incredibly exciting. I didn't feel pressure because once I got there, as I said, Craig creates such a supportive environment as well. He was supportive, reassuring, and kept a positive set. As soon as I got there, I was like, "Okay, this is going to be really chill." It's an incredible show. It's a huge show, and it was very surreal to work on it in general, especially as a fan of the show. I did have an out-of-body moment when we were shooting 206. I was sitting and looking at Pedro [Pascal] and Bella talking to each other in character. I was like, "But also, I'm here. How did I get in this show? What's happening? I watched the show. Why am I here?"

The season finale of The Last of Us airs May 25th on HBO and will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

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