One The Last of Us TV series actor impressed Neil Druckmann so much, they won themselves a part in Naughty Dog‘s upcoming game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
Please be aware of spoilers for The Last of Us season two below.
The most recent episode of The Last of Us season two just aired, and in the opening moments viewers are soon introduced to a character not seen in the games: Joel’s father.
Played by Tony Dalton, whose name you may recognise from his portrayal of Lalo Salamanca in Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul, Javier Miller is a police officer in Austin during the 80s. He is revealed to have violent tendencies towards his two sons, Joel and Tommy, having previously also been beaten by his own father.
Speaking with EW following the sixth episode’s debut this morning, The Last of Us creator and series showrunner Neil Druckmann said Dalton was his “first choice” to play Joel’s father, jokingly adding the actor was “the most charming, threatening man” he had ever seen on television. Druckmann specifically highlighted his performance in Better Call Saul.
Thankfully for Druckmann, it was not a case of ‘don’t meet your heroes’ with Dalton, and the Naughty Dog head was so pleased with the actor’s work on The Last of Us TV series he went on to cast him in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
“He immediately came to mind,” Druckmann told the publication of Dalton’s unspecified role in the upcoming game. “I just offered it to him on the spot.”
Along with Dalton, actress Tati Gabrielle will also star in Naughty Dog’s upcoming sci-fi project for PlayStation 5. Along with Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s bounty hunter Jordan A Mun, Gabrielle plays Nora on The Last of Us TV show, having also starred in PlayStation Productions’ Uncharted adaptation.
Last week, Gabrielle revealed she had received preparation for her role in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet – and specifically the online reaction to it – from Druckmann, following the online abuse previously kicked up around The Last of Us Part 2.