After this weekend’s premiere of HBO‘s The Last of Us, Nico Parker, the youngest daughter of Thandiwe Newton, is garnering critical acclaim

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Parker spoke more in detail about playing the role of Sarah, the only of child of Joel (Pedro Pascal).

“I didn’t want to treat every moment like it was the most important moment, especially because it’s kind of like the beginning,” she admitted. “You’re seeing a way more regular version of life, and I didn’t want you to feel, ‘Just wait ’til you see what happens!’ I wanted it to feel day-to-day. And then when it got to the more emotional, stressful scenes, I wanted it to feel like everything you’re seeing you’re seeing for the first time.”

Parker also discussed the racist response some fans of The Last Of Us have had to her casting. For those unfamiliar, the character of Sarah is depicted as white in the original video game. 

“There are people for whom the game is incredibly important to them,” she noted. “But when it comes from a place where it’s just a disdain toward any kind of inclusivity, that’s where I don’t care. I don’t value that opinion and I don’t agree.”

Parker hopes that fans can be more inclusive and enjoy the show. “I hope they can look past it and still enjoy the show,” she continued. “But I think inclusivity is incredibly important. If young kids watch the show and feel they’re represented through race or hair or anything, that’s ten times more important than anyone who doesn’t like it because they don’t like to see different people on their screen.”