'The Last of Us' standout Nico Parker might look familiar because she's Thandiwe Newton's daughter

• The first episode of HBO's new drama series "The Last of Us" premiered Sunday night.

• People are praising Nico Parker's performance in a pivotal role.

• Her parents are "Westworld" star Thandiwe Newton and "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again" director Ol Parker.

Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for season one, episode one of "The Last of Us."

Eighteen-year-old Nico Parker has a starring role in the pilot episode of HBO's new drama series "The Last of Us." Based on a video game of the same name, the show opens with a prologue of sorts that tells the story of a man named Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and his family during an apocalyptic event.

Parker's performance as Joel's daughter Sarah has been garnering praise online for providing maximal emotional impact within the first hour of the series.

If Parker looks familiar, it might be because she's the daughter of "Westworld" star and acclaimed actor Thandiwe Newton. Parker's last name comes from her father, the writer and director Ol Parker (who helmed the beloved 2018 movie "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again").

Parker has previously been cast in movies including 2019's "Dumbo" and 2020's "Reminiscence" (which Newton also costarred in).

"I sort of steered the kids away from it, but the reality is that she is so well primed," Newton said during a 2018 SAG-AFTRA panel moderated by Insider.

Newton joked that Colin Farrell had been "scared" of her then-14-year-old daughter because she would just sit quietly on the set and observe her costars. Newton smiled as the crowd laughed, and then folded her arms in imitation of Parker returning from work for the day.

"She would come home and be like, 'Colin didn't know what to say to me again today,'" Newton said.

"How extraordinary that my child is exactly who I wish I could have been," the "Westworld" star said when reflecting on advice she would give her younger self. "I wish I could have had that self-awareness and dignity and no need to people please."

Newton and Ol Parker also have an older daughter, Ripley, and younger son, Booker. The couple separated in 2022.

"The Last of Us" season one premiere is streaming on HBO Max now. Read Insider's review of the video game adaptation here.

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