Katy O’Brian is the perfect pick to play Abby Anderson in season 2 of The Last of Us due to her proven acting skill and Abby-like physique.
Season 1 of The Last of Us has come and gone. Pedro Pascal (who played Joel), Bella Ramsey (Ellie), and the rest of the cast pulled off what seemed to be impossible. They created a video game adaptation that was a great representation of the source material.
More than that, it was a triumph of TV in general. It’s rare that you find a show that doesn’t receive a lot of criticism. Especially one that’s based off of something in nerd culture. A lot of that can be attributed to the fantastic job that the performers did with the script.
The next season of The Last of Us must have the same kind of casting. Other than the leads, there are certain characters that have to be represented as close to perfect as possible. None more than Abby Anderson, a person who was met with both love and hate from the people who played The Last of Us on PlayStation.
We previously wrote an article on who could play her in season 2. There’s one person who fits everything that Abby is that wasn’t mentioned on that list. That performer is Katy O’Brian.
The easiest thing to notice is that Katy O’Brian is in amazing shape. Like Abby, her arms are built like tree trunks and she prides herself on that and being in great shape physically. Something that’s obvious when you’ve seen pictures of her on social media. However, it takes more than just big arms and being in shape to play Ellie’s enemy. The person playing her has to be able to pull off some of the qualities she has as well.
In the few scenes that we’ve seen from Katy O’Brian in The Mandalorian and on her social media, she has all the characteristics needed to play the liked and despised Abby Anderson. Among those things is being able to display a range of emotions while maintaining the same look. That seems like a contradiction, but it’s something that takes skills.
Even when Abby is happy, she doesn’t really smile. It’s more of an awkward smirk. It’s due to being raised in a world full of infected beings. Sure, she was around other kids her age, but there’s not a lot of hanging out on the streets when there’s the danger of being infected by the cordyceps. It’s a wonder that she found love in a world like that. Nevertheless, that awkwardness helped humanize her.
Katy O’Brian showed her talent for being both silly and serious in The Mandalorian. She was also deceitful and ruthless. As much as Abby is loyal to her cause, there were times when she did some things that may have been questionable. Even if they were for what she deemed was for a good reason.
In Black Lightning on the CW, Katy O’Brian was military. People forget that Abby’s discipline is a major part of who she is. Which is funny considering it’s a big part of what makes her who she is.
Overall, this seems like the perfect pick. Hopefully, Katy O’Brian is open to playing Abby Anderson in season 2. If you’re a fan of this casting, you also have to hope that the people in charge of casting like her as well. We are still a long way away from season 2 of The Last of Us, but bringing in the right person to play Abby is likely at the top of the show’s priorities.
Do you think that Katy O’Brian is a good pick to play Abby in season 2 of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments below.