Fans of HBO’s The Last of Us know that in several episodes of the hit dystopian series the main characters, including Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal), ride horses to travel across America and escape some baddies 20 years after civilization has been destroyed by a global pandemic. As the second season films in Nanaimo, BC, a local news outlet has learned more about these equine stars of the show.
Scene from the Nanaimo set. The first season was filmed in Alberta from in 2021/2022, while the second season is being filmed in British Columbia until August 2024. (TheLastOfUsHBOseries Reddit)
There is Jazzway, an elegant chestnut, who stars as Shimmer, Ellie’s horse. Jazzway even has a double called Cinch (another chestnut, naturally). Then there’s Pimpin, a handsome bay with a small white star, who plays the equine role of Japan, carrying on his back a season-two character named Dina. The horses are decked out in western tack and are seen in photos enjoying a hay break by their trailer.
The show’s animal coordinator, Quentin Schneider, who operates Schneider Livestock Inc., admitted to the Nanaimo News Bulletin that Jazzway’s – who also appeared in Jurassic World Dominion – most famous riders were Robert Redford and Chris Pratt.
“They’re pretty good animals. The horses are better than people,” Schneider told the outlet. “They all have normal ranch jobs, then there’s training. They learn to lay down, they learn how to go from A to B, they learn how to do all sorts of stuff.”
The age of the horse’s shows their experience with Jazzway being 20 and Pimpin clocking in at 16 years of age. Only Cinch is a relative youngster at eight years old.
No word on whether the horses had any diva demands like peeled carrots or apple-flavoured water!
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