Warning: This article contains spoilers fromThe Last of Usseason 1, episode 5.
“Obviously, Henry and Sam have that really big moment.
So there’s personal pressure that I put on myself to want it to be good.”
Lamar Johnson as Henry and Keivonn Woodard as Sam in ‘The Last of Us’.Liane Hentscher/HBO
In 2013’sThe Last of Usvideo game, Henry and Sam are survivors that Joel and Ellie meet in Pittsburgh.
As a result, that man died.
With Kathleen now in power, she’s consumed with seeking vengeance.
Keivonn Montreal Woodard as Sam in ‘The Last of Us’.Liane Hentscher/HBO
Despite these changes, the emotional beats remain the same, right up to the tragic ending.
“In the game, it’s heartbreaking.
“It was one of those moments where you’re in disbelief a little bit.
Lamar Johnson as Henry on ‘The Last of Us’.Liane Hentscher/HBO
You’re like, ‘Oh my goodness, that just happened!’
It was Woodard’s first time acting in a role.
“And it’s a pretty big role,” notes the boy from Bowie, Md.
Keivonn Woodard and Lamar Johnson as Sam and Henry on ‘The Last of Us’.Liane Hentscher/HBO
He wasn’t nervous about it.
They would continue to bond over games, likeFriday Nights at Freddy’s, but notThe Last of Us.
“I don’t know whether I’m gonna playThe Last of Us,” Woodard says.
“I did get a copy of it, but I’ve struggled to get it working.
So I think once my mom gets it all set up, I’m gonna play through.”
Johnson is just happy their off-camera bond translated on screen.
Henry’s whole purpose is to protect his brother.
It reminds Johnson of his own history with superheroes.
The actor had been cast inX-Men: Dark Phoenixas a fire-wielding mutant named Match.
“Yeah, it really feels like a lifetime ago, truly.
I think I did that in 2018, I believe.
I got to meetJennifer LawrenceandAlexandra ShippandJames McAvoyand the full cast.
Johnson’s fandom served him well onThe Last of Us.
“Joel and Henry are both protectors.
I think Joel resonates with all that.
My brother is gonna die, so I had to make a tough decision.
Would Joel make that same decision if it were to saveSarah?
I’m sure he would.”
They have to go through the tunnels to avoid Kathleen’s soldiers, but Infected could be down there.
Through this unified mission, they inadvertently form a connection to each other.
That was Woodard’s favorite part.
Sam reveals he was bitten during the attack.
Ellie tries to reassure him, telling him that her blood is medicine.
Morning comes and Sam has turned.
Woodard remembers sitting in the make-up chair to transform himself into an Infected.
“It took so long,” he recalls.
“They did my neck and down my arm.
I fell asleep while they were doing the make-up on my leg ‘cause it was taking so long.
I just knocked out.”
As Sam attacks Ellie, his brother picks up his gun.
Joel is left fearing he’ll let Ellie die, but then he shoots.
The horror of this act washes over Henry as blood from Sam’s head pools around him.
This is your fault.”
Johnson, as well as the creators, understood Henry was directing those words to himself in that moment.
The line was, ‘What have I done?’
Obviously, there’s layers behind ‘What have I done?’
In a way it’s I’m upset at Joel, asking him, ‘What have I done?’
The delivery was the same, but the lines are just different.
There was a couple ways that I delivered the line.
We were just playing with it and whatever worked for the scene is what they chose.
I’m really happy with the sequence.”
Just like the events of the game, Henry turns the gun on himself.
Her protector is forced to follow after burying their friends.
Nerves just mean you care, and it means that everyone cared.
