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In episode 6 of The Last of Us, American actress Rutina Wesley was seen portraying Maria Miller, the wife of Joel's younger brother, Tommy. The couple is expecting a baby, but it was also revealed that Maria previously had a son who died during the outbreak.
Rutina Wesley has described playing Maria as a terrifying experience as the character was already established in the video game and fans had an idea of what they were going to get. Playing her was going to be a challenge as she had to put in extra effort to perfect the role.
Wesley is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series True Blood, and Nova Bordelon on OWN’s Queen Sugar.
Rutina Wesley was nervous about playing Maria Miller in The Last of Us
Maria Miller in The Last of Us video game was different. Apart from being caucasian, she was straightforward and had a no-nonsense attitude. But in the show, Maria was shown as someone of African origin.
Apart from that, she is humble, has a motherly energy, and is a respectable member of a council that runs the town of Jackson.
Rutina Wesley was terrified of these changes. There was a chance that loyal fans of the franchise wouldn't have accepted these changes, but thankfully that did not happen.
She said:
"It’s terrifying playing a character that’s been established, even though it’s a game. But I also was up for the challenge of playing her in my way and putting my energy on it to see what people would think of that."
Maria is even shown to be affectionate towards Ellie. She gives her new clothes, and a haircut and has a heart-to-heart conversation with her. It is at this moment that Ellie learns about Joel's dead daughter, Sarah.
This heartwarming exchange between the two characters could be credited to Maria's motherly instincts kicking in due to her pregnancy.
Wesley said:
"When you are going to be a mother at some point, I think she naturally gravitates towards Ellie in that motherly way without her really even knowing she's doing it."
She continued:
"It's her instinct because she can't help that fact. Also I think that Maria is challenged by Ellie in a way that she secretly loves. I think there's a part of Maria that's looking at Ellie like, 'Who is this little girl?'"
What is The Last of Us about?
The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey as Ellie.
The official synopsis of The Last of Us reads:
"Based on the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us, developed by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation platforms, the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival."
The show was created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, with Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam serving as its executive producers.
The Last of Us episode 7 will be released on February 26, 2023, at 9 pm ET on HBO and HBO Max.
