Troy Baker, who plays Joel in 'The Last of Us' video games, says he was surprised by role in HBO series: 'I thought I was going to be a clicker'

• Troy Baker, who originated the role of Joel in "The Last of Us" game appeared in Sunday's episode.
• He played a minor figure from the video game but says he would've been happy playing an Infected.
• "Look, I thought I was going to be a clicker. So, this is an upgrade," he told Deadline. 

Fans of "The Last of Us" video games were greeted by a familiar face on Sunday night's episode of the HBO adaptation in the form of Troy Baker, who originated the role of Joel Miller in the 2013 game.

Baker, a prolific voice and motion capture performer who has also had roles in the likes of "BioShock Infinite," "Final Fantasy XIII," and "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," makes his appearance in the penultimate episode playing James, a member of a cannibalistic cult run by a devout leader named David (Scott Shepherd).

Ellie (Bella Ramsey) runs into the pair while scavenging for food alone since Joel (Pedro Pascal) is still recovering from the attack at the college in episode six.

Speaking to Deadline, Baker said that showrunner Neil Druckmann, who also co-created the game, approached him about a potential role, but was very "coy" about it, leading him to believe he was going to cameo as an Infected. 

"He was like, 'So, there's a character that we have in mind for you if you're interested. If you don't feel interested, it's totally fine.' And I'm like, 'Dude, if there's anything for me….'"

"Look, I thought I was going to be a clicker. So, this is an upgrade," Baker said. "I was so happy. And then, when reading the script for James, I was like, 'OK, there's a good challenge.'

Baker went on to say that playing James, who is based on another character from the game, was "appealing" to him as he enjoys "playing a villain to show you he's not the villain."

"So, when it came to approaching James, I asked, 'How can we make him not a henchman? How can we make him not just this David's 'Thug A,' and make it so that he has some actual stake in the story?' And for me, it's all about understanding that every character we meet throughout this story is somehow a reflection of Joel and or Ellie."

Baker explained: "James was a good guy, and this world has been hard on him too. And if you look at these people, they arrived here to what they thought would be the promised land, and they had one hard winter, which turned them into the worst versions of themselves."

The actor said the episode and James' arc in particular serve as a reminder perhaps that "we are all one bad day away from being, at least by some degree, the worst version of ourselves."

Baker isn't the only voice actor from the game who has made an appearance in the television adaptation. Merle Dandridge reprised her role as Fireflies leader Marlene in the premiere, while Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Joel's brother Tommy in the games, played Kathleen's fiercely loyal second in command who Joel and Ellie ran into in Kansas City.

It's long been teased that Ashley Johnson, who originated the role of Ellie, also has a role in the series as she appeared in the show's official trailer released in late 2022.

In the brief glimpse of her character, she is seen holding up a newborn, leading many to suspect that she is playing Ellie's mother, Anna, in a flashback sequence in next week's season finale.