The Last of Us Star Rutina Wesley Shares Swimsuit Photo Looking “Gorgeous”

1. Angela Bassett Arms

Wesley does weight training and yoga to stay strong and toned. “For me, I have this tough exterior and these Angela Bassett arms, and people think, ‘Oh, my God, Rutina’s tough.’ But I’m just a little Juliet on the inside,” she says. “I look like I can beat you up. But I’m as soft as a flower. I do a mix of cardio and strength — the elliptical machine and weight lifting — three times weekly. But a lot of my agility comes from being a dancer; I trained at Juilliard. I also do yoga. It helps me relax and let go of the crazy character I play.”

2. Stronger Every Year

Wesley takes pride and joy in her health and longevity. “About every other day, I do a special 30-20-10 push-up circuit: 30 push-ups and 30 triceps dips, then 20 of each, then 10 of each,” she says. “My body is a reflection of how grateful I am for my life and my health; there are a lot of people less fortunate than me. And I still want to have these arms and legs when I’m 75.”

3. Peace At Home

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Wesley’s home life is a haven of peace for her. “My mornings are not complete if I don’t get in that steam shower for 25 minutes,” she says. “I used to dance a lot, so now my body needs to be moved and stretched. It also helps me reset if I wake up on the wrong side of the bed... After a hectic 12-hour day on set that leaves me exhausted, [fiancé] Shonda is there with arms literally wide open. I could choose to bring work home and unload on her, but instead we get a moment of peace and stillness.”

4. Playing Maria

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Wesley was immediately drawn to the character of Maria. “She’s a natural-born leader with this calm, fierce stillness,” she says. “I always say she is the kind of woman who, if she were to smile, it would be with her eyes. You would never see a wide grin on her face. She’s very cool and collected. Also, she’s a mother-to-be and a nurturer. Usually when you see women who are fierce leaders, especially in an apocalyptic world where everyone is just trying to survive, you don’t see a lot of the vulnerability.”

5. Walking In Her Truth

Wesley tries to live an authentic life, which she describes as walking in her truth. “I think what it means to walk in your truth is when you are walking in your most honest, most truthful self,” she says. “It’s not always easy to do because a lot of times we have shame or we don’t feel like we’re enough. We’re scared to walk in our truth, when in all actuality when you walk in that truth you become the best person that you’ve ever been. You become unafraid of being yourself.I think if you don’t walk in your truth. You don’t move forward. You can get stagnant and feel uninspired. I feel like that’s kind of something that I’ve still been trying to do, and I think it’s a learning process. I think it takes some time to navigate, but I think you’re always navigating it right––[as long as] you’re always trying to figure out how to be your best self.”