Ashley Johnson: The Definitive Face Behind Ellie
As a long-time fan and avid gamer, it‘s my pleasure to definitively confirm that acclaimed actress Ashley Johnson is the real-world face model behind Ellie in Naughty Dog‘s groundbreaking The Last of Us video game series.
Early Design Based on Ellen Page
Initially, Ellie‘s visual concept was inspired by actress Ellen Page, who you may recognize from the film Juno. However, this garnered criticism given the lack of permission, prompting Naughty Dog‘s developers to overhaul the design.
"We decided to modify Ellie‘s model to better reflect [actress] Ashley [Johnson]‘s personality, and also resemble a slightly younger teen more fitting to the story" – Neil Druckmann, Creative Director
So what exactly changed? Let‘s analyze…
Transforming Ellie into Ashley Johnson
The Last of Us released in 2013 after several years in development, with a reported budget of $50-100 million. The character artists took great pains to ensure Ellie felt like a fully realized, authentic character that players could connect with.
For the 2020 sequel, the process was even more intensive:
"We did a lot of iterations on Ellie until we felt we landed on something that felt right" – Neil Druckmann
Specifically, the team aged up the original The Last of Us model, then blended it with extensive 3D face scans of Ashley Johnson herself. This mixture of realistic scanning merged with stylized design is a hallmark of Naughty Dog‘s games.
The result is a character that embodies Ashley‘s personality while logically showing the passage of time. Despite the initial controversy, Ellie has since become an icon, with Ashley Johnson‘s performance garnering critical acclaim:
The Last of Us Series Review Scores:
Game | Metacritic | Sales (million)
---------------|------------|----------------
The Last of Us | 95 | 21+
Part II | 93 | 12+* *Sales still growing
Indeed, both titles have achieved immense commercial success as well in addition to critical praise. It‘s clear Naughty Dog landed on the perfect face model formula with Ashley Johnson.
Models Behind Other Characters
While this article is focused on Ellie‘s face model reveal, here‘s a quick look at the other key faces behind The Last of Us series:
The Last of Us Part II
| Character | Face Model | Additional Model |
|---|---|---|
| Abby | Jocelyn Mettler | Colleen Fotsch (body) |
| Dina | Cascina Caradonna | |
| Nora | Chelsea Tavares |
You may notice Abby utilizes separate models for face and body – a smart move to achieve the imposing physique portrayed in-game.
The Last of Us
| Character | Face Model |
|---|---|
| Joel | Troy Baker |
| Tess | Annie Wersching |
As expected, Joel‘s original model is long-time voice actor Troy Baker, who delivers a standout gritty performance.
The Future of Face Models
If rumors of a The Last of Us film adaptation or Part III come to fruition, it will be fascinating to see if Ashley Johnson continues as Ellie‘s model, or if a new face is chosen to match a different actress. My money would be on staying true to Ashley‘s appearance.
After all, her striking features are so intrinsically tied to Ellie in fans‘ hearts and minds thanks to her voice acting fame. Does a perfect video game adaptation exist without the original face? Debatable.
For now, we can confirm Ashley Johnson remains the undisputed visual inspiration behind one of gaming‘s most beloved icons – Ellie from The Last of Us. It‘s the culmination of years of iteration, scanning, coding, and performing that brings this character to life so vividly.
Well, that wraps up this insider exposé and analysis! Let me know in the comments if you have any other burning questions around the face model selection process. And be sure to follow if you want the latest updates as we await a Part III announcement!
