Is Sam deaf in the ‘Last of Us’ games?

Hollywood newcomer Keivonn Woodard is making his debut performance as Sam in the fifth episode of HBO’s The Last of Us. The show has taken some serious detours from the game and most fans couldn’t be happier about the recent changes and additions to The Last of Us universe. With Woodard himself a deaf actor, some fans are wondering if the video game incarnation of the character shares the actor’s trait.

Within The Last of Us game universe Sam is a hearing person. While the thirteen-year-old has plenty of struggles within the game, none are related to hearing. Besides casting a deaf actor and adding yet another win for inclusion into the series, HBO has also taken the liberty of aging Sam down — Keivonn is just nine years old — something that will help expand on some aspects of Sam’s in-game character. Throughout his short stint in the game, Sam is shown to be a pessimistic boy who, though regularly frightened by the world he lives in, tries hard to protect his guardian and older brother Henry. Despite being one year younger than Ellie, Sam seems much more childlike. He longs for a world in which he could have a normal childhood, all while acknowledging the actual world he lives in. He sticks to his brother “like glue” in Henry’s words and he hates the brief moments he and Ellie are separated from their larger companions.

With the addition of Kathleen and her band of raiders replacing the nameless bad guys from the game, HBO is surely setting up some tear-jerking scenes. We’ve yet to really see the young actor shine, but after a slew of excellent performances coupled with gorgeous cinematic shots, there is no doubt HBO is about to step their game