When Nadji Jeter was cast as Sam in the 2013 video game The Last of Us, he admits that he “didn’t know what he was getting into.” It was his first time working in video games and his first time providing motion capture for a character, a talent he would later go on to hone as Miles Morales in the Marvel’s Spider-Man series of games. However, the actor loved being Sam, and was equally enthusiastic about Keivonn Montreal Woodward’s interpretation of Sam in the successful 2023 live-action TV adaptation of the game.
Sam, a plucky, creative survivor with a talent for tinkering with robots, is encountered alongside his brother Henry by Joel and Ellie as they journey across the country seeking safety. Ellie bonds with Sam due to their similar ages, and his death by infection and subsequent attempt to attack her serves as one of the game’s most heartbreaking moments. To honor his memory, Ellie keeps his toy robot with her even into the game’s sequel.
Sam’s encounter with Ellie and Joel is chronicled in “Endure and Survive,” the fifth episode of the Last of Us TV series. Sam, portrayed as eight years old rather than his in-game age of 13, is given a slightly expanded role as his diagnosis of leukemia and Henry’s subsequent desperation to find medicine brings him into conflict with Joel and other survivors. When asked his thoughts on the show’s Sam by GameLuster’s Nirav, Jeter described Woodward’s performance as “amazing” and revealed that he was “thrilled” that new scenes and content were added for Sam in the show.
Jeter also expressed a desire to meet Woodward, who, due to his age, was unable to come to the TV show’s premiere event in Los Angeles. However, the pair have connected on Instagram, with Jeter having nothing but positive words for the younger actor’s turn as Sam and the show in general. When asked to sum up The Last of Us’ TV interpretation, Jeter’s response was succinct but enthusiastic – “A great cinematic follow-up.”
