You know Troy Baker’s voice. He’s brought many famous video game characters to life. Yet, for one of his most beloved roles, he felt entirely unprepared. That part was Joel Miller in the wildly popular “The Last of Us” series.
Baker shared this surprising thought at GalazyCon New Orleans 2025. He was talking about how he felt stepping into Joel’s shoes for the first time. He asked the audience, “Have you ever gone to a job and simply told people, ‘I didn’t prepare for this at all?'” He made it clear he wasn’t talking about feeling like a fake. He meant it was a real, raw feeling. He gave an example. “You might say you’ll go skydiving. But once you’re up there, you just realize you can’t do it.”
He even said it felt physical. “It was like my body just wouldn’t listen,” he explained. “That’s exactly what working on ‘The Last of Us’ felt like for me.”
Baker remembered a moment with Ashley Johnson, the actress who plays Ellie. They were at Sony Picture Studios, hearing the game’s story for the first time. He playfully told Johnson, “If this game ends up being bad, it’s totally our fault.” He chuckled, then added, “Because deep down, we both knew it was going to be amazing.”
And amazing it was. “The Last of Us” earned incredible praise from players worldwide. But for Baker, even after that massive hit and all his other successful roles, he still feels like he hasn’t completely “proven himself.” It’s a humble outlook from an actor beloved by millions.