Troy Baker reveals development changes for The Last of Us Part II

Troy Baker, the voice and motion capture actor for Joel Miller in ‘The Last of Us Part II’, has revealed behind-the-scenes details regarding the game’s iconic porch scene between Joel and Ellie.

In a recent interview on ‘PartyChat’, Baker explained that the emotional dialogue originally intended to occur much earlier in the narrative, specifically before the story’s major turning point. Baker noted that he only learned the scene had been moved to the end of the game after production was complete. He expressed that the decision to place the scene at the conclusion was a highly effective choice by Naughty Dog, as it provides a more impactful sense of closure.

Additionally, the scene underwent changes during the motion capture process due to input from Ashley Johnson, the actor for Ellie. While the original script included a hug between the two characters, Johnson felt the character was not yet ready for such a gesture. This led the development team to remove the embrace, opting instead for a physical distance that emphasized the emotional weight of the dialogue.