As fans saw during the sixth episode of The Last of Us, Joel (Pedro Pascal) was set on finding his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). But crossing paths with him brought on a flood of emotions for the main character and the actor himself.
During the new episode, Joel discovers that Tommy is safe at a hydroelectric-plant-turned-settlement in Jackson, Wyoming. After their emotional reunion, Tommy reveals that he has a wife named Maria (Rutina Wesley) and they have a baby on the way. Naturally, he’s curious about how Tess (Anna Torv) is doing after Joel arrives without her. As the HBO Max show unfolds, Joel eventually shares that Tess sacrificed herself in order for Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to reach the Fireflies.
As it turns out, this heartbreaking moment also hit home for Pedro, who took to his Instagram Stories to commemorate the fallen character. Pedro uploaded the final scene he had with actress Anna Torv, who portrayed Tess through the second episode. “I miss Tess,” he wrote alongside the hashtag “#AnnaTorv” in place of the actress’s Instagram handle.
Folks may have noticed a three-month time jump in episode 6 of The Last of Us. Joel tells Tommy about Tess’s death several weeks after viewers witnessed Tess and Joel say a tearful goodbye at the Boston capitol. What’s more, it was the first time Joel had publicly mourned the loss of his partner.
In case you’re wondering if The Mandalorian actor was truly affected by Tommy and Joel’s reunion, director Jasmila Žbanić can testify that his emotions were real on and off camera. According to The Last of Us visionary, Pedro had a hard time getting through the conversation about Tess and Ellie.
“It’s a very emotional scene for Pedro. I was filming him as a second; first we filmed Gabriel, and then I noticed that each time we repeated, Pedro was crying,” Žbanić told Variety. “He was not on camera, but he was crying because he was giving his partner everything so that he can act … I was amazed by Pedro’s talent.”
Though filming for the first season of The Last of Us is wrapped up and the streamer has plans for season 2, it seems like it’ll be a bit before Pedro forgets certain moments from the latest episodes.
Entertainment & News Editor
Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. In addition to writing and editing entertainment news, she also spotlights the Hispanic and Latinx community through her work. She is a graduate of CUNY Hunter College with a B.A. in journalism and creative writing.