Gustavo Santaolalla Plays Ukulele in The Last of Us Season 2!

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In many instances, TV shows and movies based on video games include brief appearances by familiar faces, but the premiere of The Last of Us season 2 stands out with a notable guest star who has significant influence in the game’s universe as a whole.

It turns out that the renowned figure is no one else but Gustavo Santaolalla, the celebrated composer responsible for the soundtracks in The Last of Us video games series. He’s coming back to work on both seasons 1 and 2 of the HBO program as well.

Beyond this, instead of making a brief appearance only in episode 1, the veteran musician made his debut in the season 2 opener through an incredibly appropriate method. In the series The Last of Us, his presence is undeniably a delightful enhancement to the cast.

At the conclusion of the first episode, this specific cameo appears during Jackson’s New Year’s Eve party. Amidst scenes of Ellie and Jesse casting glances toward Dina, brief clips of a band performing music from afar can be noticed.

At exactly 50 minutes and 57 seconds, attentive fans of The Last of Us will spot that the individual strumming the banjo is none other than Gustavo Santaolalla, known for his gray beard and glasses – apparently playing a ukulele, which resembles a guitar but is smaller than the conventional acoustic version.

Known within The Last of Us community for providing the unique audio signature for both the games and season 1 of the series through the use of string instruments that added emotional depth, this selection proved suitable for Sanataolla.

Many others also spotted the composer’s appearance, not just us. Numerous fans expressed this on X (previously known as Twitter), and some even connected it to his cameo in The Last of Us Part 2.

“I literally screamed out, ‘Gustavo!!!!!!!!'” said one user.

On the same discussion, another fan agreed, expressing, “I believed it was him. I didn’t share this thought with my partner, as she isn’t into such games and wouldn’t be interested.” They then added a ‘joyful tears’ emoticon.

Appropriately, Craig Mazin, co-creator and showrunner of The Last of Us, as well as writer and director of the episode, shared his thoughts with TopMob regarding the cameo and working with Santaolalla who proved to be enjoyable throughout the process.

I was thrilled when Gustavo mentioned he wanted to stop by our set! You see, in the game, players encounter Gustavo as they walk down the main street of Jackson, as Ellie. He’s an NPC character, strumming a banjo outside. It’s a significant part of the gaming experience.

He added, “It struck me as perfectly logical that this individual belonged in the group since it’s a band known as Crooked Still. Plus, he’s exceptional. I found it delightful to watch because they are all exceptionally talented musicians.

Moreover, it’s indisputable that Gustavo possesses extraordinary intellect. What’s intriguing is that he hadn’t previously performed those tunes. In a remarkable turn of events, they seemed to communicate music intuitively for roughly 40 seconds, and then they began playing together.

“He thoroughly enjoyed himself, and his happiness was palpable. I told Gustavo, ‘These next two days will seem endless, but we’ll repeat the experience again and again.’ Every moment was delightful, he never grumbled, and it felt like a dream come true.

From the very first viewing of his single scene in the episode, it’s evident that Gustavo and Crooked Still shared a fantastic bond, further enhancing the composer’s enduring impact on the community of fans for The Last of Us.

It’s uncertain yet whether Santaolalla might make another live-action The Last of Us appearance in the future, but for now, we’re thankful for the single appearance we currently have.

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2025-04-14 19:37