ashley johnson the voice actress for ellie in the last of us video game series cried projectile tears when she was offered the role of ellies mother in the hbo show speaking to gamesradar and other assembled media at a recent roundtable johnson said that naughty dog copresident neil druckmann actually text her to ask if shed be interested in playing the new character yeah he just texted and said hey craig mazin and i have been talking and would you like to play ellies mom and i was just projectile tears i was just like what are you serious says johnson ellies mom anna is a brand new character for the last of us tv show with her only otherwise referenced in notes and a short conversation in the games themselves instead the tv show gives anna the spotlight at the opening of the final episode in a harrowing scene that for the first time explains how ellie has gained her immunitythe layers of being able to play ellies mom and the metaphor of bringing her into the world and being the first person to fight to keep her alive she adds drawing parallels between her experience of bringing ellie to life in the game and now again in the tv show in a very different way its just wild to me voice actors generally dont get into the fold of putting something on screen im so grateful and so happy and i had a blast shooting itthe last of us tv show finale has now aired on both hbo max in the us and sky atlanticnow in the uk for more from the series check out our guide to the major last of us episode 9 changes from the games and a terrifying look at the cordyceps fungus