When The Last of Us was first revealed, it was hard to ignore the glaring similarities between that of which was in-game character Ellie and acclaimed actress Ellen Page (Juno, Inception). I mean, the similarities were uncanny, right? As it turns out, it was not Ellen Page as the actress for Ellie; rather, it was Ashley Johnson as not only the voice, but the mo-cap for the young girl.
Page, meanwhile, was signed on to do another PlayStation 3 game, Beyond: Two Souls. I don’t know what it is, but Sony developers love Ellen Page! Beyond: Two Souls game director David Cage knew right away he had to have Page star in his new game, which players embark on an “emotional journey” that spans the life of protagonist Jodie Holmes (played by Page) as she grows and evolves over 15 years and discovers more about what’s beyond our world.
But just because she’s involved in another PlayStation project, doesn’t mean she takes kindly to Naughty Dog supposedly using her likeness in their game.
“I guess I should be flattered that they ripped off my likeness,” she said in a Reddit AMA, “but I am actually acting in a video game called Beyond Two Souls, so it was not appreciated.”
Whether or not Page was serious in her comment — these things can be hard to tell on the internet — or if her likeness was actually used is not for me to speculate, but Naughty Dog Creative Director Neil Druckmann responded to Page’s comment by praising the performance of Ashley Johnson, who portrayed Ellie in the game.
“Ellie from The Last of Us was perfectly played by @TheVulcanSalute,” Druckmann wrote on Twitter. “No one could’ve done a better job.”
I believe Johnson did a fantastic job and her role as Ellie helped solidify The Last of Us as one of the best storytelling games of this current-generation.
