Posted in: HBO, TV | Tagged: the last of us

The Last of Us: Kaitlyn Dever on Abby's Story Being Forged by Grief

The Last of Us star Kaitlyn Dever reflects on her physical and emotional journey as Abby, what she wants viewers to understand, and more.

Kaitlyn Dever's journey to The Last of Us was anything but easy, from losing out on Ellie Williams for the scrapped film adaptation of the Naughty Dog game, and her mother after a 14-year battle with breast cancer, to facing the controversy head-on, accepting the role of Ellie's rival in Part II's Abby Anderson. As Abby, the actress also bore the backlash, like her voice counterpart, Laura Bailey, did when the 2020 game was released, as the one who killed protagonist Joel Miller. Abby is a soldier forged by the harsh climate of the Cordyceps plague that decimated humanity, forced to live as a survivalist with only revenge on her mind, as Joel (Pedro Pascal) killed her doctor father at the season one finale. Dever spoke with Deadline Hollywood about her journey from the film to the Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who she previously worked with on the film) series, preparing for the inevitable online backlash, and making sense of the season two finale when she returns to confront Ellie (Bella Ramsey) on her own mission to avenge Joel.

The Last of Us Star Kaitlyn Dever on Casting, Backlash, and Season Two Finale

Recalling her experience with her father on the game, "It was actually my dad's thoughts and opinions on Abby that were way stronger than mine when I first got a call about having a meeting with Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin to play Abby. I don't think I've ever talked about this, but earlier on, before I even got that call about the potential of playing Abby, it was my dad saying, 'Man, that would be so cool if you could play that girl Abby.' And I was like, 'I don't know,'" Dever said. "I had played the first game with my dad twice, but of course, Abby wasn't in it. At the time I thought, 'Oh, he's just saying things.' I didn't think anything about it. Then, later, he played the second game, and I remember him telling me, 'Hey, you need to sit down, and you just need to watch this. You need to play this.' And it was the end of the second game, which is so intense and the craziest moment of video gaming I'd ever seen."

Fast forward to the HBO series, "When I had my first meeting with Craig and Neil, by that point, I had done some of the beginning gameplay of Abby. And just from my initial understanding, she was a very, very, very, very strong woman. And that in and of itself was intriguing to me. After meeting with them and discussing Abby further, I gained more insight into what they want for the role in the show," Dever said. "This made me even more excited to take on this kind of role. Because while I was excited to use the inspiration that Laura Bailey and her performance in the show, I was also excited about the freedom that Craig and Neil were giving me to bring Abby to life in my own way. And I never felt pigeonholed in any sort of way, which was exciting. But thinking back right now, it really was my dad's energy that got me excited about all of this. I was like, 'Oh, who's this person he keeps talking about?' Because I know I trust my dad's opinion and his taste. He's got really cool taste, and he knows what's up. And he's like, 'No, that would be so cool if you got to play Abby.' I'm like, 'I don't think I'm ever going to get to play Abby.' And then literally it was only months, not long after that, that I got the call about a meeting to talk to Neil and Craig. Thanks, Dad."

As far as taking on the role and having to reshape how she views the Internet heading into season three as Druckmann departs the series, "Of course, this was something I thought about when I signed on to 'The Last of Us.' It was also a topic of conversation when I was in my meeting with Craig and Neil. And in no way did it make me afraid or scared to take on the role," Dever said. "I would've never not done it because of the fear of reading the internet after the show comes out, or what people might think of me and my portrayal of Abby, because I loved the role so much that it outweighed all of that. Or I guess it helped alleviate that fear in some way. I don't know. But it's tricky because, obviously, I look at the internet and I saw things when it first came out. I'm human, so I can't help but look at those things. But ultimately, if I'm thinking about Season 3, I have a sense of comfort knowing that I'm in really good hands. In Season 2, I felt so taken care of and so supported just by the crew and everybody that I was working with, so that gives me a sense of safety. Also, there is comfort in the fact that people did love Season 2. So, I just have to trust my instincts and trust myself moving forward. The scripts, the dialogue, and the story is so amazing that I'm not at all going into Season 3 with any sort of fear or hesitation. It's pure excitement to be part of such a cool show."

Despite her character being introduced in season two, the bulk of the narrative focused on Ramsey's Ellie and the character's revenge while resolving what was left with Pascal's Joel. Dever's Abby's impact was felt in the second and final episode of season two. "It's interesting because I don't know if I'll ever know how to talk about that concisely. I'm sometimes editing how much I say about my mom's death because I don't want to overwhelm the other person that I'm speaking to about it," she said. "But I feel we should talk about these things. I'm just speaking from truth when I talk about it, just because it was just literally what I was dealing with right when I started shooting 'The Last of Us.' And it's just life. There was nothing I could do to stop that from happening. And I still felt like I was doing The Last of Us for her, like it was a duty that I had to do, and I had to see it through."

Coping with the loss of her mother guided Dever's performance. "There was a moment where I was barely able to go to work, and there was a moment where I felt like I couldn't do it. And I think I channeled my mom in many ways to sort of push through and do it for her. And I think that that's the sole reason why I was able to do it. So, for that scene and every single episode that I was in, I channeled my own grief for everything. Grief is so front and center for this character as well. It's a pretty interesting thing when life imitates art in that way. But it was very much on my mind, and it was very much on the character's mind," she said. "With Abby, we're meeting her at a point where it's been quite some time; it's been five years since she's been dealing with this grief and planning her revenge. But for the scene you mention, she's seeing someone she remembers from the chalet in Episode 2. There's this girl who she knows is associated with Joel, the guy that killed her dad, but she doesn't know much else other than, 'Oh, I spared your life, and you wasted it.' And in the series, this is the first time we're starting to tap into the mirroring of those two characters."

You can check out the entire interview for more, including Dever reminding fans that Abby is as broken as everyone else in the world as she prepares to be the focus of season three. The Last of Us, which also stars Gabriel Luna, Isabela Merced, and Young Mazino, is available to stream on HBO Max.

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