At just 20 years old, Storm Reid has a résumé that stands out.
There was her breakout as the lead in Ava DuVernay’s A Wrinkle in Time, followed by a recurring role on HBO’s Euphoria as Gia, the younger sister of Rue (Zendaya), and a headlining gig in the mystery thriller Missing this year. Now, Reid is an Emmy nominee, recognized for her fan-favorite appearance as Riley Abel in The Last of Us.
Between balancing work and school — Reid is an undergraduate student at USC — the young actress didn’t expect any sort of awards acclaim to result from this role in the video game adaptation.
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“I knew that The Last of Us would be a very special show,” Reid tells The Hollywood Reporter on the morning of the announcement. “I knew people would love it. But I didn’t necessarily think that I would get an Emmy nomination from it.”
When Reid arrived on the production for the zombie apocalypse series to film the seventh episode, the energy was right. “I stepped onto that set for the first time, and I could tell that they were collaborators,” she remembers. “They worked hard together, and they wanted to make something really special.”
In Reid’s flashback episode, she spends nearly every moment onscreen opposite fellow Emmy nominee Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie. The Last of Us closely follows the relationship between Ellie and Joel (Pedro Pascal, also nominated for his work on the drama series) as they embark on the dangerous mission of transporting the teenager across a postapocalyptic America in the hope that her immunity is the key to finding a cure for the rampant infection. “I didn’t get to work with Pedro, but to spend the little time that I did get to spend with him and talk about the show and our experiences, I just knew that I was going to be in good hands,” Reid says about meeting the show’s star. “And they welcomed me with warm arms. I think that was really impressive, to be able to walk on a set and feel welcomed and feel appreciated. I’m grateful for that.”
We meet Riley soon after she has run away from military school to join the rebel group known as the Fireflies. In her last days before she’s sent on a mission, she returns to her shared room with Ellie to take her best friend on an adventure through the town’s abandoned shopping mall, where the duo share what will ultimately be their last moments together.
Amid the chaos of nomination day, Reid, still processing the excitement of it all, had yet to reach out to her fellow castmates and nominees. But she did manage to speak withshowrunner Craig Mazin, with whom Reid exchanged congratulatory texts. “I think we’re all just happy,” she says. “But I will be telling the rest of the cast and the crew congrats, because they all deserve it.”
When it came to the role itself, Reid says that Riley came naturally to her. “I don’t know if there were really any challenges to embody Riley,” the actress recalls. “I think she’s very nuanced and very complex, but also very simple. Just to be able to step in her shoes, experience her feelings, her coming-of-age in a postapocalyptic world, it’s very tricky to figure out. But other than that, I think she was an amazing character to portray, and I’m so glad that I was able to get the opportunity to do so.”
As for her fellow nominees, Reid is rooting for one camp in particular. “I love Abbott Elementary,” she gushes. “I’m glad that they got their nominations and Quinta got her nomination.”
She adds, “I’m just excited to be in the company of everyone. I think everyone is so super talented, and everyone is part of such incredible work. So I’m just glad to be able to be among the people being recognized. I hope everybody’s celebrating today.”
Because of the writers and actors strikes, the Emmy Awards, originally scheduled for Sept.18, will be postponed. The new date for the ceremony has not been announced as of press time. It will be Reid’s first foray at the Emmys not only as an attendee, but also as a nominee.
“I’ll probably be a nervous wreck,” she says. “I’m going to be a ball of nerves. But I think I’m just going to soak it all in, take it all in. I’m just going to take it moment by moment. I’m going to be excited to meet everybody and celebrate and congratulate everyone.”
At the mention of the double strike, Reid affirms that she’s a “proud member” of SAG-AFTRA. And although we may not be surviving a zombie dystopia, she recognizes that this era is certainly unprecedented. “We’re all living in scary times,” the actress says. “But I’m hopeful that we can all come to a resolution soon, so we can continue making beautiful work.”
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
