HBO’s The Last of Us could go down as one of the greatest video game projects of all time, and that isn’t an exaggeration. The show hits on all of the major things like action, acting, storyline, and staying close to the source material. The latter is important because changing certain plots and character characteristics can ruin something special. Sadly, the team behind HBO's The Last of Us did something that could alienate some of their viewers.
Deadline reported that Michelle Mao (Bridgerton) was cast as Yara, and Kyriana Kratter (Skeleton Crew) will play Lev. In The Last of Us video game, Lev is a trans teenage boy who was alienated and attacked by the Seraphite cult because he refused to be used to have children. Since the creative team seems to pay attention to how the fans react to the show, I assumed that a trans actor would be cast to play Lev. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
When it comes to position in Hollywood, representation is important. It allows a different and proper perspective that someone outside of a culture doesn't understand. For example, Delroy Lindo talking about the oppression of Black people in Sinners is something that a Black person gets because it's personal to us. In the case of Lev, Kyriana Kratter's performance may not have the same effect as a trans person has when acting during crucial moments.
Representation is especially important for LGBTQ+ people. On Blueskly, trans actress Nicole Maines points this out, saying, “There are trans actors struggling to make ends meet amid a concerted effort to push us back into the shadows, and one of the biggest shows out right now has the audacity to cast a cis woman as a trans man.”
Her point is 100% justified, and it doesn’t help that laws in America are being put in place that make just existing difficult for trans people.
Not casting a trans person to play a trans character isn’t the first time The Last of Us has done casting like this. Isabela Merced (who grew up Catholic) is currently playing Dina, who is Jewish in the video game. Merced was great in season 2 (maybe the best character in the season), but casting a Jewish woman would have been a good look for the show since it left out a part of Dina’s character that seemed important to her. However, it is great that a queer person is playing Dina.
To be clear, I’m not saying that Kyriana Kratter won’t do a great job as Lev. Nor am I saying that she should be chastised for accepting the role. In fact, no one knows what she’s been through or if there was a moment in her life that makes her feel close to Lev’s story. However, not casting a trans person to play Lev was a mistake, and it should be called out.
Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow and their social media sites, Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter, for more news, opinions, and rumors about The Last of Us as they come out.