Gabriel Luna made one of his dreams come true at the premiere of season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us. "That's something I always hoped to do, which is to have a premiere at the Chinese Theater," the Texas-born actor revealed in an exclusive interview with ¡HOLA!.
During the conversation, he opened up about his experience playing the role of Tommy Miller. He also shared his love and appreciation for the cast, and highlighted the importance of Latino representation and the gratitude he feels toward fans ahead of the official release of the series on April 13.
The 42-year-old actor, who has found success in action-packed roles, previously starring as Ghost Rider in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and as 'the villainous Rev-9 in Terminator: Dark Fate, continues his successful career, reuniting with the cast of The Last of Us, describing them as a "big family."
"We knew what we had in front of us in terms of the work to try to match if not exceed what we were able to do in the first season"
"It was fun to come back and see my family again because they truly are a family at this point," Gabriel explained, admitting that he was thrilled to be back on set and film in the Rocky Mountains. The actor detailed Tommy's complicated relationship with Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, and shared a glimpse at his chemistry with the actor on set.
"The tension is, I think, derived from the tension that he has with Ellie," Gabriel said about Bella Ramsey's character, "and how Tommy is this bridge between them that is always being pulled in different directions and, so that's where the tension builds from."
Talking about Pedro, Gabriel highlighted their Latino heritage and described him as "a phenomenal actor" and "a very sweet and fun person to be around." "He grew up in the very early years of his life in San Antonio, Texas," he added.
"A unifying force for all of us is the love we have for each other, and that is the essence of the story of the 'Last of Us' is the love that Joel and Ellie have for each other and how that spreads to everyone else around."
"The characters themselves are from Austin, Texas, I was born in Austin, Texas," Gabriel continued, mentioning his joy to represent the Latino community by being a part of the show next to Pedro, and Isabela Merced, who plays Dina. "I have immense pride in being involved in this project. Right from the jump, you sense the devotion this community has for the story," he said, adding that he wants to "tell the story in the best possible way."
Filming Season 2 of 'The Last of Us'
Gabriel looked back at one of the highlights of filming the new season of the show, apart from reuniting with the cast and continuing the storyline. "I've acquired a lot of skills over my career, working on a lot of action-oriented things, But I had never fired a flamethrower before," he revealed during the interview.
"That was a first time for me," he detailed. "There is a World War II museum in Fredericksburg, Texas, which is about an hour outside of Austin to the west. I remember going there in elementary school," the actor recalled.
"And then I read these scripts and saw that I was gonna be using this flamethrower and I was so excited. I watched 'Aliens' because there's some cool flamethrower action in that. I watched, 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' again. They should have let me keep the flamethrower!"
A mentor and an inspiration throughout his career
The rising star mentioned his wife Smaranda Luna, who has been there to support him throughout his career, as the pair recently celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary.
"As an inspiration, I'd have to say my wife Smaranda, one of the most incredible actors I've ever seen," he confessed. "That is somebody who helps to kind of steward what we do and help to shape performances and we work together quite a bit."
Further in the interview, Gabriel opened up about the loss of his father, and how he has found support and mentors in different chapters of his life. "I run the risk of becoming too personal, but I'm an open book. I always tell everybody everything," he admitted.
"My father passed before I was born, so throughout my life, I've sought and found father figures in different people; football coaches, professors, different people," Gabriel explained. "I was fortunate enough to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger, we've worked together 3 times now, and he has kind of become that father figure, I think that that mentor."
The actor talked in depth about his admiration for Arnold following his role in the 2019 Terminator installment. "I look up to Arnold and we talk pretty frequently," he said, adding that the Hollywood star checks on him and "is always proud" of Gabriel's path.
Gabriel revealed that he will be working with Arnold's son-in-law, Chris Pratt, on a new project. "I'm gonna work with his son-in-law, it's pretty soon, and Chris called him to ask about me," the actor revealed. "I talked [about] this part that I'm playing in this new show, and then Arnold FaceTimed me."
Gabriel continued, making his best impression of Arnold's signature voice. "I talked to Chris. Yeah, I told him 10 out of 10 review, you have to work with Gabriel. He jumps off the cliffs into the water. He does all these things very [bravely]," he said of their call.