Troy Baker knew that stepping onto the set of the HBO adaptation of “The Last of Us” would be an interesting experience. But he didn’t expect it to feel so uniquely “wonderful.”

The actor played Joel in The Last of Us video game franchise, a role that required much more than mere voice acting. As Joel and Ellie, Baker and Ashley Johnson also provided motion capture for their characters, essentially acting out the games’ entire storylines in front of a green screen, for the animators to use as a reference.

Now, as Pedro Pascal embodies the role of Joel in the series, Baker said it’s been a “unique experience” to watch another take on the character.

“What I love is that he’s not trying to ape anything that we’ve done before,” Baker praised Pascal, calling the actor “incredibly kind and incredibly gracious.”

“My goal, and I’ve said this countless times,...