Kaitlyn Dever’s remarkable performance as Abby in the second season of HBO’s “The Last of Us” not only earned her critical praise but also intense scrutiny from fans, leading to an Emmy nomination, part of the show’s impressive tally of 16 nods. Dever embraced the challenging role during a particularly tough time in her personal life, dealing with significant personal loss while portraying one of the video game world’s most polarizing figures.
In a detailed conversation with Deadline, Dever shared that her initial exposure to the character Abby was influenced by her father’s strong feelings toward the character, which significantly shaped her approach to the role and was later compounded by her own experiences of loss and resilience.
“My dad had very strong opinions about Abby, stronger than my own initially,” she explained. Before she was even considered for the part, her father encouraged her to watch the ending of the second game, insisting, “You need to sit down, and you just need to watch this.”
Although she initially dismissed his advice, it wasn’t long before she was invited to meet with showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin. After experiencing Abby’s early gameplay, Dever was drawn to the character’s strength and complexity.
“Right from the start, it was clear she was an incredibly strong woman, and that intrigued me. After discussing the character with Neil and Craig, I understood more about what they envisioned for Abby in the series,” she remarked. “This excited me as I looked forward to drawing inspiration from Laura Bailey’s performance in the game, while also enjoying the freedom Neil and Craig gave me to interpret Abby in my own unique way. I never felt restricted in any manner, which was thrilling.”
Despite some fan criticism regarding her casting, Dever stated that the potential backlash never deterred her from accepting the role. “The thought of not taking the role due to fear of online backlash never crossed my mind,” she continued, admitting that she did peruse some reviews at the start of the season. “I’m human, so naturally, I looked at those things.” The support from the crew, however, provided a significant sense of security. “In Season 2, I felt incredibly supported,” she shared, with the positive feedback from audiences adding to her excitement for the upcoming third season: “I’m purely excited to be part of such an amazing show.”
Dever’s portrayal was deeply influenced by the personal tragedy of losing her mother just before filming began, channeling her grief into Abby’s emotional narrative. “I felt like I was doing The Last of Us for her,” she expressed. The emotional parallels between her own journey and Abby’s deepened her connection and commitment to the character.
“She believes that what she did to Joel would make her feel better…and it doesn’t. She’s just as broken as everyone else in the series… It’s incredibly intense and heavy, but she internalizes all these emotions, which, I think, contributes to her strength. She’s been through so much, seen so much, yet she perseveres and keeps pushing forward, much like many other characters in the story.”
“The Last of Us” received a total of 16 Emmy nominations before the award ceremony scheduled for September 14, with nominations for other cast members including Bella Ramsey, Geoffrey Wright, Catherine O’Hara, and even Pedro Pascal in a lead category, despite appearing in only three episodes. Although the third season has been confirmed, Dever’s co-star Ramsey revealed that they have not yet seen any scripts or been informed about the start of filming.
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Ava covers the intersection of celebrity culture and social media, keeping up with the ever-changing world of online influencers and viral moments.