Pedro Pascal and his young co-star gave a phenomenal performance in The Last Of Us that made Craig Mazin cry.

Craig Mazin was brought to tears by one scene in The Last of Us where Pedro Pascal brought his best performance as a father. The co-creator of the show was also the director of the first episode When You’re Lost in the Darkness, where Pascal’s Joel Miller loses his daughter. Mazin revealed that he cried over and over while filming it and later cried again when it premiered on the big screen.

Pedro Pascal in a still from The Last of Us | Credits: HBO

Mazin also credited actress Nico Parker for the emotional impact of the scene, who received critical acclaim for her brief appearance. The Last of Us became one of the best video game adaptations, winning several awards including eight Emmys. A second season of the show is set to premiere in 2025.

Pedro Pascal’s The Last Of Us Performance Moved Co-Creator Craig Mazin To Tears

Pedro Pascal and Nico Parker in a still from The Last of Us | Credits: HBO

Pedro Pascal‘s acting chops were at their best in Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s The Last Of Us. Mazin only had great things to say about Pascal when he appeared for a chat with AwardsRadar last year. The Chernobyl creator revealed that he couldn’t control his tears when he saw Pascal in one particular scene in the film.

Craig Mazin was talking about the initial scenes of the series showing Pascal’s Joel Miller and his daughter Sarah Miller. Mazin shared that he cried when the scene was played at the premiere and added that it was Pascal’s denial that made him emotional. Mazin shared with AwardsRadar:

Absolutely I cried. I cried multiple times. I kept crying over and over. When we showed it at the premiere, and it was on the big screen, I cried again. And you know, what I always cry at is Pedro, his denial. It’s his refusal to accept that she’s gone. Just for that brief moment, it’s just so beautiful.

In the first episode, Sarah and Joel try to escape the fungi-infected town along with Joel’s brother Tommy. While Joel runs carrying an injured Sarah, they are cornered by a soldier who shoots at them. Sarah dies in Joel’s arms after suffering a fatal shot. Mazin also credited Nico Parker‘s performance as Sarah for bringing the emotional impact to the screen.

Mazin shared that Parker portrayed the pain realistically. He remembered saying to Parker that she should bring the most pain she had ever felt in the scene. He told her that the pain came from a place of fear, that of dying too soon. Mazin was elated that both Pascal and Parker delivered amazingly in the scene. Mazin shared:

But it only works because of Nico’s pain. The pain that Nico Parker is showing is so profoundly realistic. One of the things that I remember saying to her that night was, ‘Pain is going to be the most pain you’ve ever felt. But even worse than that is fear. This is the most afraid you’ve ever been. This is the thing that everybody should be the most afraid of, and that is dying too soon.’ And oh my god, did they both just deliver.

The episode was the beginning of the series’ success and it was watched by 4.7 million viewers across all platforms on Day 1 (via THR). The episode won two Creative Arts Emmys for Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing.

Nico Parker’s Performance Gained Critical Acclaim In The Last Of Us

According to Rotten Tomatoes‘ critics consensus, the first episode of the series “benefits immeasurably from Nico Parker’s endearing contribution.” Parker felt a lot of pressure when she was cast in the role. She knew from the games that her small role had a significant impact on the series. During an interview with TVLine, she shared:

I was incredibly stressed. It’s an iconic moment. I have cried at that moment, myself, prior to even in any way being involved in the show. So I think I was very aware of how important it was to kind of execute it appropriately.

She also shared that Pascal had a word of advice for her. He told her not to watch the video game because it was “going to freak you out”. She shared that she took his word and did not watch the game. Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone shared that Parker’s performance got her audience invested, while Den of Greek lauded her for her “warm and compassionate” performance.