Chinook High School grad earns role in Episode 7 of Last of Us

By Garrett Simmons
Lethbridge School Division

The HBO television series, The Last of Us, is nothing short of a global phenomenon
And if you turned on the TV a week ago to watch Episode 7, titled Left Behind, you might have noticed a young Lethbridge actor featured at the beginning of the episode.
Amanda Ruby, (whose film credit on Last of Us is listed under the name Ruby Lybbert) a Chinook High School graduate, played the role of Bethany, a young student who ends up in a confrontation with the main character in the show, Ellie Williams. Bethany ends up getting punched in the face for her troubles.
And while Ruby’s screen time was limited to that one dramatic scene with Last of Us star, Bella Ramsey, it is an experience she will never forget.
“I was only on set for a few hours, but that experience is definitely a core memory for me,” she said. “The set was in a school gym, which was in a separate location from all the trailers and such for actors, hair and makeup, and all that. They call that ‘circus,’ because it's crazy over there.”
Being on set for such a major TV production certainly raised the stakes for the Lethbridge School Division grad.
“I was definitely in awe, and very intimidated by it all,” said Ruby. “Everything meant for me had my name on it. They anticipated my every need and even when they gave me a water bottle it was this metal, reusable bottle with pH-controlled, ice-cold water. And everyone on set was lovely. Always encouraging, always patient and so fun. I think that general attitude is what made everything work so well for this show.”
The Episode 7 scene gave Ruby a glimpse into everything that goes into creating magic on the screen.
“For filming, and this is generally what you'll find, there was blocking, rehearsal and then a few takes, with adjustments as needed,” she said. “For this scene, there was some stunt choreography too, which was fun. I had probably over-rehearsed everything by myself, so mainly, I had to focus on adjusting my performance to the environment and my scene partner, which was easier than expected. And I think that's because everyone involved was so professional. Everything moved forward like a well-oiled machine.”
Ruby just went with the flow and wrapped up her scene in style, with a little encouragement along the way from the show’s star performer.
“I did my best not to be the proverbial wrench in that machine,” she said. “After a good run-through or take, the lead actress, Bella Ramsey, would say, ‘Smashed it,’ in her English accent, which always helped me relax a bit. When we finally wrapped, the director and producer announced to everyone this was my first role and led a round of applause for me. Honestly, don't know if I'll ever top that moment.”
The audition process for the role of Bethany wasn’t extremely intense, said Ruby, due to the fact she the character was only onscreen for a quick scene.
“But including wait time, it took a couple months,” she said. “First, my agent had to submit my photos and résumé to the audition call, then they sent her the audition instructions and sides (audition script), which she sent to me.”
COVID restrictions at the time meant self-tapes were the standard, even for a large production like Last of Us, which meant Ruby simply filmed it on her phone in her family's living room.
“Later that week, my agent told me I was pinned for the role, usually meaning it was between me and one other actor, and that was enough to get me excited,” said Ruby. “But the wait until I was confirmed for the part, honestly, felt like forever. Casting decisions are some of the most important to make in a production, so even a small role like mine had to go through several people before getting approved.”
Last of Us represented a gigantic step up in Ruby’s career.
“This was actually my first ever paid role, and the only film sets I'd been on before were for student productions in film school, which everyone told me was pretty uncommon,” she said. “Landing this for my first gig was a delightful surprise.”
The hope now is this role in Last of Us will help springboard Ruby to other opportunities in the industry.
“Actors and many artists in film will use demo reels to show their experience, which usually takes the best clips from previous work and cuts them together in a one to three-minute video used to apply for auditions and interviews,” she said. “So, I'm hoping adding this little number to my reel will improve my chances immensely.”
With her name now featured in the credits of the show, Ruby’s IMDb page has been getting a lot of hits since the episode was released.
“So with any luck, casting directors will remember me and think of me for their next job,” she said.
For Ruby, the road to Last of Us started at Chinook High School.
“I was in some very cool plays and musicals with some very cool people there,” she said. “In those later years, I don't think I would have shown up to school nearly as much had it not been for those productions.”
Her role the Advanced Acting class production called, Why Do Birds Lie, was where Ruby was to showcase her talents.  
“The script got very emotional, so I really got to flex my acting muscles,” she said. “The skills I gained in those programs were truly invaluable to my career because I learned to be in the moment in a false reality in front of observers. Nobody knows how awkward that can be until they do it.”
Ruby played Fruma Sarah in Fiddler on the Roof, where she gained more valuable experience.
“It taught me to think on my feet and under pressure, which has proven helpful when you get a full-line rewrite in the middle of filming with a bunch of pros,” she said. “Mainly though, I learned how to work with others in a scene, on a project, where creative compromises had to be made, directions had to be taken and good vibes had to be maintained.”
Her time at Chinook was spent under the tutelage of a retired teacher who is certainly well known in the Lethbridge arts community.
“My musical theatre teacher and choir instructor, David Mikuliak, was the best I ever had, because he really helped everyone loosen up and have fun with our work,” said Ruby. “But he never let anyone get away with half effort. He was always sure to encourage us all to perform to our full potential. I've never forgotten that perfect balance of loose, creative fun, with back-breaking effort to make something beautiful. If you want to do performance art at this level, that's pretty much what it takes. I'm still working on that.”