If you are a fan of the HBO series, The Last of Us, then you definitely recognize Nico Parker. If not, then you may remember her from her 2019 debut in the Dumbo remake. Or, you just might recognize her as Thandie Newton and OI Parker’s daughter. Whichever is the case, Nico Parker is unquestionably someone that you should put on your radar because this is one rising star who blazing her own path outside of that of her famous parents. The talented 18-year-old has been extremely busy lately. She covered Exit Magazine, and also sat down with The Cut, to talk about life, career, and more. Take a look at a snippet from her interview below.
Parker started off her interview talking about her zombie-filled HBO hit series, The Last of Us, and her relationship with co-star Pedro Pascal who portrays her father in the series. Parker admits that portraying Sarah opposite Pascal (Joel) in the show, didn’t feel like work at all.
“It didn’t feel like we really needed to do anything aside from talk and spend time with each other. But even then, it didn’t feel like work. He truly is one of my best friends.”
According to Parker, she and Pascal have continued their friendship to where they still have FaceTime catch-up sessions every few weeks.
If you aren’t familiar, The Last of Us is based on a popular video game. Parker continued in her interview, admitting that there was a lot of pressure and high-expectations to pull off the live-action adaptation. And of course, race was at the forefront, as her character was written as a white female, as Parker is bi-racial.
“There was a tension in knowing that this is something people will see and immediately resonate with,” Parker said to The Cut. There are people incredibly attached to the game, and with the TV show portrayal of it, they want it to be as accurate as possible.”
She continued, “There’s another side that just completely does not want any inclusivity at all. I don’t really give it too much thought because if that’s your opinion on it, I’m never gonna appeal to you. If it’s not just that you really love the game and want an exact replica and it’s more so that you don’t want to see Black people, mixed people, Hispanic people, or anything, I don’t give those opinions too much value.”
Parker isn’t shy in the interview talking about being a “nepo baby,” sympathizing with celebrity off-spring who feel as if the term “minimizes” their hard work outside of their famous parents’ influence, but acknowledging that “nepo babies” also have to acknowledge the fact that it is “easier to get in the room” with celebrity parents.
“…I think it’s incredibly important to recognize that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it’s way easier to get in the room,” she said. “It’s so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there … Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you’ve known people since you were small, and they want to give you a chance because they like you. That is a reflection of your parents.”
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So, what’s next for Parker? Well, according to her interview, she has landed her first leading role in a project opposite Woody Harrelson and Laura Linney entitled, Suncoast. Which of course, we cannot wait to see!
If you’d like to read the complete interview, click here.
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Exit Magazine/Instagram; Nico Parker/Instagram
