HBO’s The Last of Us Season Two finally hires Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, one of the most controversial characters in the franchise. Like Bella Ramsey’s casting, fans could not help but question the showrunners’ choice of actress for the role.
Dever was actually a fan-favorite for the part of Ellie due to her striking resemblance with the video game character. Interestingly, this is not the first time the actress worked on a Naughty Dog project as she has previously voiced Cassie Drake in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
The Last Of Us Creators On Casting Kaitlyn Dever As Abby
In a joint press statement via The Guardian, show creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann addressed the controversial casting of Kaitlyn Dever for the second season of The Last of Us.
“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material. Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella, and the rest of our family.”
In a previous conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Mazin explained their process of hiring actors and remarked that they usually do not follow the source material. He also pointed out that the series is their original project, hence it will set itself apart from the video game.
“Sometimes it will be different radically, and sometimes it will be [barely] different at all. But it’s going to be different, and it will be its own thing. It won’t be exactly like the game. It will be the show that Neil and I want to make.”
For Mazin and Druckmann, the talent and passion of the actors are more important than their physical likeness to the characters they are portraying. Still, they will try to make the wardrobe and their appearances in the show as similar to the game as possible.
“One of the things about the casting process that’s tough is that we invite people to join us on this process, and we know everything [about the secrets of the production], and nobody else knows anything except what they know, which is the game. We know what we’re gonna do in terms of costume and makeup and hair, but more importantly, we also know the spirit and soul of the actor.”
Abby is, indeed, a character that has received both praise and criticism from fans, but more alarmingly, has become the subject of misogynistic comments because of her role in the franchise.
Kaitlyn Dever Was Excited To Work With Naughty Dog Again
Speaking with Collider, Kaitlyn Dever confessed that she’s a huge fan of The Last of Us. At the time, she was being campaigned by fans for the role of Ellie, and having previously worked with Naughty Dog, she was pretty much open for collaboration again.
“I obviously have been seeing the Internet, and I’ve obviously been seeing a lot of [the fan casting]. Neil Druckmann, I worked with him on Uncharted 4. I think he’s one of the smartest guys I’ve ever met and one of the sweetest.”
Even though Dever did not get the role of Ellie, she is now joining the franchise as Abby. Fans will be assured that she’s going to nail the part given her experience working in a video game franchise before, and her knowledge of the game itself.
