As Nick Offerman accepts his prize for the 2024 Independent Spirit Awards for his groundbreaking performance in HBO’s The Last of Us, he also offered a speech that fans will never forget. It was particularly aimed at people who hated the gay romance in the show.
The actor portrayed Bill in the post-apocalyptic series based on the video game developed by Naughty Dog. His partner in the show, Frank, was played by Murray Bartlett.
The Last Of Us Star Nick Offerman Has A Message For The Haters
Nick Offerman was grateful for the opportunity to receive an award for his participation in HBO’s The Last of Us. He stated in his message (via Variety):
“Thank you so much. I’m astonished to be in this category, which is bananas. Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent.”
The actor then addressed the controversy surrounding his role in the series. A lot of fans criticized the episode for including a gay romance and accused the show of being woke. Offerman has the best response:
“Stories with guts that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that. It’s not a gay story, it’s a love story, you asshole!’ ”
Series co-creator Craig Mazin explained why he and Neil Druckmann decided to incorporate Bill and Frank’s love story in the series (via Yahoo):
“I wanted to explore the theme of love, and also different kinds of love. We wanted to give people more if they have played the game and if they haven’t played the game, we wanted it to feel like it was this natural thing to occur anyway. There are these moments in the game when Neil and I thought: ‘Oh, here’s where we wander off to explore and have fun.’ ”
Mazin reiterated that the narrative was “less about their homos*xuality” and more of a middle-aged romance. He remarked that he has been married to his wife for a long time, and he knows what old love feels like.
New Updates For The Last Of Us Season 2
Filming for the second season of The Last of Us commenced early this February in Vancouver, Canada with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey reprising their roles as Joel and Ellie.
New cast members joining Season 2 include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, and Young Mazino as Jesse. Emmy-winning actress Catherine O’Hara also joins the team.
The plot for the sequel remains under wraps, though Craig Mazin once revealed it will be different from season one, and it is going to be its own thing. He also warned fans that it won’t be exactly like the original game.
As production has only just started, fans could expect an early 2025 release provided no delays will occur. After Pascal showed up with a sling on his arm last January, he assured everyone that his injury would not affect Season 2’s production.
The Last of Us Season 1 is now streaming via HBO.
