Storm Reid (‘The Last of Us’) on being ‘as intentional as possible’ with the Riley and Ellie relationship [Exclusive Video Interview]

“We were trying to be as intentional as possible with their relationship,” says Storm Reid of her work with co-star Bella Ramsey in “The Last of Us.” The actress joined the hit HBO series for the flashback episode “Left Behind,” which delves into the touching and tragic backstory of Riley and Ellie. The emotional work in the episode is heavy, but Reid had such an easy connection with Ramsey that they were able to effortlessly dive head into the tough material. “Spending time with people that you really enjoy spending time with, I think it makes it a lot easier,” notes the actress. Watch the exclusive video interview above.

In the episode, before Riley must leave town, she surprises Ellie with a late night trip to an old mall. The pair are enthralled with the novelties of this time capsule to the past, and the night leads to an unexpected kiss. “It was a nerve wracking moment for me,” admits Reid. “We are dealing with young humans and we are dealing with new, fresh feelings that they’re trying to figure out in the moment.” She and Ramsey were gentle in how they approached the pivotal moment, with these friends seemingly discovering and unveiling their feelings for one another in real-time. “It was beautiful and it was organic,” describes Reid. “And I think it’s a perfect representation of how young people figure out who they are and who they love. And that should be accepted. To be able to be representative of that is an ultimate honor for me.”

WATCH Bella Ramsey interview: ‘The Last of Us’

The show doesn’t allow the pair to live in their newfound bliss for long, as an infected human attacks and bites both women before they manage to kill it. In just a few seconds, Riley goes from imagining a brand new future with Ellie to reckoning with imminent death. “It was so emotional,” notes Reid of this scene, which arrived at the end of an exhausting shoot. Each character processes the news differently: Ellie erupts into a violent rage while the more practical Riley sits with stunned composure as she processes what is about to happen. Reid asked herself important questions about how to portray a person who knows that their time on Earth is short: “How do we end it all? How do we leave people beautifully heartbroken and undone?” The answer she found was “just being simple.” Reid and Ramsey end the episode, with a simple, pure moment of connection.

WATCH Murray Bartlett interview: ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ and ‘The Last of Us’

The scene ends before the pair must deal with the horrific outcome. Ellie, being immune to the cordyceps virus, would live on. But she would have to witness the fungus take over Riley’s body. But Reid isn’t interested in exploring the impossible choices these women would face after the camera cuts to black. “We left it in a beautiful place. And it’s kind of cool leaving it up to the audience’s imagination,” she states. “But if there were more flashbacks of Riley, before that moment or when they used to live together…I will be there!”

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