"He was so good" - The Last of Us voice-over actor Ashley Johnson reflects on her time working with Leonardo DiCaprio

Ashley Johnson, who voiced and starred in The Last of Us video game and television show, recently shared her thoughts about working with Leonardo DiCaprio on ABC's Growing Pains in the early 1990s on the Pod Meets World podcast.

Speaking about Leonardo, Ashley Johnson said:

"He was so good."

Actress Ashley Johnson began her career as the early Chrissy Seaver on the popular sitcom Growing Pains before gaining recognition for her strong voice-acting roles in Critical Role and The Last of Us. Johnson joined the ensemble in its sixth season, joining a family that already had a great rapport both on and off screen.

During a recent interview on the Pod Meets World podcast, which is hosted by Boy Meets World alums Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle, Johnson said:

"Every memory that I have from [Growing Pains] is so good. I feel like they were such a family on that show already because I came in on the sixth season."

Her "soap opera aging syndrome" caused her character, Chrissy, to age quickly; from a toddler in Season 5 to a talking kindergarten teacher in Season 6, she paved the way for new plots, one of which featured Leonardo DiCaprio, another up-and-coming star who would soon become well-known.

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Leonardo DiCaprio, a star in the making according to Ashley Johnson

In the television show Growing Pains, DiCaprio played Luke Brower, a homeless teenager who gets adopted by the Seaver family. Johnson remembers well how his potential was already evident when he landed the job, which was shortly before his breakthrough performance in This Boy's Life.

She recalled:

"He was so good. Like, you could tell so early on. I think at that time he had just finished filming This Boy's Life, and that hadn't come out yet, so he was on sort of the last bit of the season for Growing Pains."

Ashley Johnson continued talking about how even the adult cast and crew recognized DiCaprio's promise; she said:

"I just remember, everyone was like, 'This kid so good.' Like, he just had it. We felt it."

DiCaprio was only 16 at the time, but was polite and grounded to everyone on set, including Ashley Johnson, despite being a star in the making.

"He was great. But he was, like, a teenager, you know? He was a kid, but I remember he was so sweet to me."

Ashley Johnson also took some time to consider Alan Thicke, who portrayed Jason Seaver, the family patriarch, another significant character from her early years. She said:

"He was the greatest. I mean, as a first TV dad, I just remember I loved hugging him and just being around him. He was wonderful."

She recalled attending Thicke's funeral in 2016, after his unexpected death at age 69, as the last time she saw much of the cast.

"The last time I saw everybody, not the greatest, but I went to Alan Thicke's funeral."

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As both child actors went on to forge their own careers, Leonardo would go on to become an A-list actor with roles in Titanic, Inception, and The Revenant. Ashley Johnson has gained popularity in the gaming and animation communities, becoming a fan favorite with appearances in The Killing, Blindspot, and The Last of Us.

She is most famously known for her role as Beth, a waitress in The Avengers, and as Ellie in the fan favorite game The Last of Us parts 1 and 2. She also played the role of Ellie's mother in the first season of the show, which was adapted from the game. Recently, in the second season, she again made an appearance, but this time a voice appearance.

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