The Lasting Legacy: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Elliot Page And The Last Of Us Controversy

The enduring connection between actor Elliot Page and the iconic video game character Ellie from The Last of Us is one of the most persistent and complicated controversies in modern gaming history, a story that continues to evolve even in late 2025. This decade-old debate began when fans and the actor himself noticed an undeniable resemblance in the character’s initial design, leading to public accusations of a likeness "rip-off" and forcing the game's creators to issue a public response and make immediate changes.

The entire saga is a fascinating case study in intellectual property, character design, and the complex relationship between actors and their digital counterparts. With the massive success of the The Last of Us HBO series starring Bella Ramsey, and Elliot Page’s continued prominence as an actor and trans advocate, the question of his involvement—or lack thereof—in the Naughty Dog masterpiece remains a hot topic for fans and the media alike.

Elliot Page: A Complete Biography and Profile

Before diving into the specifics of the *The Last of Us* controversy, it is essential to understand the illustrious career and current profile of the actor at its center, Elliot Page (formerly Ellen Page).

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• Full Name: Elliot Philpotts-Page
• Date of Birth: February 21, 1987
• Place of Birth: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
• Career Highlights: Page rose to international fame with his Oscar-nominated role as the titular character in the 2007 comedy-drama Juno. He went on to star in major blockbusters like Christopher Nolan’s Inception (2010), the X-Men film series as Kitty Pryde, and the Netflix hit series The Umbrella Academy as Viktor Hargreeves.
• Video Game Roles: Page starred as the lead character, Jodie Holmes, in the 2013 interactive drama video game Beyond: Two Souls, a PlayStation exclusive developed by Quantic Dream. This role is critically important to the *The Last of Us* controversy.
• Activism and Memoir: Page came out as a transgender man in December 2020. He is a prominent LGBTQ+ activist and released his critically acclaimed memoir, Pageboy, in June 2023, which details his life, career, and transition.
• Current Projects (as of late 2025): Page continues his work on The Umbrella Academy and is actively involved in producing and directing new projects, leveraging his platform for trans representation in media.

The Original 'Rip-Off' Accusation and Naughty Dog's Response

The resemblance between the initial design of Ellie and Elliot Page was first noticed by the public in 2012 following the release of a promotional trailer for The Last of Us.

The Uncanny Likeness. At the time, Page was one of the most recognizable young actors in Hollywood, and the physical similarities—the facial structure, the hairstyle, and the general youthful look—were striking enough to generate immediate buzz online.

Page’s Public Statement. In June 2013, shortly after the game's release, Page publicly addressed the issue on Reddit. He stated that he should be "flattered" but was, in fact, starring in a different video game, Beyond: Two Souls, and that Naughty Dog had "ripped off my likeness."

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The Conflict of Interest. The controversy was amplified by the fact that both games—The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls, featuring Page as Jodie Holmes—were major, competing PlayStation 3 exclusives. Page’s starring role in one game made the alleged appropriation of his appearance for the rival game's character, Ellie, a much bigger deal.

Naughty Dog's Swift Action. The game's developer, Naughty Dog, and Creative Director Neil Druckmann, quickly responded to the backlash. They acknowledged the inadvertent resemblance and immediately announced a change to Ellie's character model. The redesign was intended to make Ellie look more like her actual voice and motion-capture actress, Ashley Johnson.

This design modification was implemented into the final version of the game, making the "Ellen Page-looking Ellie" a relic of the early trailers and concept art, though the controversy itself has lived on.

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The True Inspiration: Ashley Johnson and the Final Ellie Design

Despite the persistent online narrative, the final, beloved version of Ellie was modeled after one person: her voice actress, Ashley Johnson.

More Than Just a Voice. Johnson, a veteran actress, provided both the voice and the full motion-capture performance for the character across all the original *The Last of Us* games. Her physical performance and likeness are what the final, iconic character model is based on.

The Creative Vision. Neil Druckmann has consistently maintained that the initial resemblance to Page was unintentional and that the character's design was always meant to evolve to better reflect the performance of Ashley Johnson and the character's growing maturity. The initial prototype model was simply a starting point.

This clarification is crucial to understanding the topical authority of *The Last of Us*. The character of Ellie is intrinsically linked to Johnson's award-winning portrayal, not the actor who was briefly fan-cast.

The Modern Context: Elliot Page, Bella Ramsey, and Fan Casting

The success of the HBO television adaptation of *The Last of Us* has brought the decade-old controversy back to the forefront, particularly regarding the casting of the teenage protagonist.

Fan Casting and Reality. For years, before the HBO series was officially cast, Elliot Page was a perennial fan-favorite to play Ellie, especially given the initial visual similarities. However, this fan-casting ignored several key realities.

• Age Disparity: By the time the series was in development, Page was significantly older than the 14-year-old character Ellie.
• The Actor's Transition: Following Page’s transition, casting him as a cisgender teenage girl would be inappropriate and disrespectful to his identity.
• The Casting Choice: The role ultimately went to the phenomenal young actress Bella Ramsey, who perfectly captured Ellie's defiant spirit and vulnerability, earning critical acclaim and proving the fan-casting was unnecessary.

The *Pageboy* Connection. While Elliot Page did not mention *The Last of Us* controversy directly in his 2023 memoir, *Pageboy*, the book does explore the immense pressure and scrutiny he faced while working in the public eye, particularly his experience with the nude model controversy during the development of *Beyond: Two Souls*. This earlier experience with the appropriation of his likeness in a video game provides a deeper context for his strong reaction to the *The Last of Us* situation.

In the end, Elliot Page’s connection to *The Last of Us* remains an interesting footnote in gaming history, highlighting the blurred lines between digital character design and celebrity likeness. While he was never officially involved, the controversy catalyzed a change that ultimately cemented the final, unique look of one of gaming's most beloved characters, Ellie, forever linking the two properties in fan discussions.