Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched The Last of Us’ second episode, so be warned!
While I think most people would agree that The Last of Us is a tale all about the blossoming relationship between central characters Joel and Ellie, let’s give credit where credit is due: it’s also a showcase for the freaky-as-fudge Clickers that have evolved in undesirable ways due to cordyceps infections. They’re some of the grossest and most hair-raising antagonists in modern video games, so it was beyond awesome to see just how closely their live-action debut on HBO’s The Last of Us compared to the source material. And star Anna Torv confirmed to CinemaBlend that the actors playing the Clickers made filming the museum scene a fright for the actors as well.
I spoke with Anna Torv ahead of The Last of Us’ ratings bonanza of a premiere on HBO, and after we discussed her character’s sad and somber death, I asked if there were any specific ways she settled into a panicked mindset ahead of filming, or if the situation itself did the job. In her words:
In the clicker fight, it was pretty easy to feel kind of a little bit panicked about that, because so much of that was real. So the faces and the prosthetic and everything was just unbelievable. That was all prosthetic makeup. So these guys came in with that [facial application], not able to see. Also, the actors who are playing the clickers, they had worked so hard on all of that kind of movement and how they were, so that was all them. And even the - [makes Clicker noise] - even the sounds, that was all happening in the room.
I know I wasn't alone in being shocked to first learn that The Last of Us would be keeping things practical for as many of its costumes, effects, and sets as possible, in an effort to further distance the HBO series from its digital roots. Which speaks to the genius adaptation choices of co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who have so far proven themselves to be heads and shoulders above the majority by way of understanding how to successfully bring a video game to life. (Or death, as it were.)
Of course, those plans would have all been for naught had the show's Clickers paled in comparison to those of the game. The fungi-faced monsters could have easily come off looking corny as shit with a less talented creative team, and/or with stunt actors who weren't fully invested and committed to showcasing every off-putting quality that players adore about them. (To say nothing of the dedication required by the actors throwing their bodies at everything as the infected Runners.)
As such, I'm beyond thrilled to hear that the actors were in gamers' shoes while filming, and that the clicking sounds were in full effect on the day. I imagine it would have been slightly less effective if they were braying like cartoon donkeys or ahh-ooo-gah-ing like old car horns. . . . Okay, now that I've thought about it for three more seconds, that might actually be just as nightmarish to see and hear in the darkness of an abandoned building.
Anna Torv continued, setting up the situation while bemusedly saying that for all the effective scariness, she wasn't necessarily enthused about being around the Clicker actors.
So you're standing in the corner and then this huge - they're real tall, big guys - this big, tall guy comes in going - [Clicker noise] - to you, and it's dark, and you're like, 'I don't want to look at this.' So it was not difficult to be like - [gasps] - to get the fright. Because then they'd turn the lights back on, and we'd go out and like, I didn't want to talk or look at them. [Laughs.]
One has to imagine it being a weird site to see a Clicker hanging out and checking his or her phone behind the scenes, or trying to get a drink of water into those headpieces. Thankfully, viewers only need to worry about seeing the monsters in their most threatening form as the season continues. Now bring on the Bloaters!
The Last of Us airs new episodes on HBO every Sunday night, and anyone with an HBO Max subscription is also able to stream. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule for all the new and returning shows on the way.
