Fans of PlayStation’s The Last of Us were confused when actress Kaitlyn Dever (No One Will Save You and Dopesick) was cast to play Abby in the second season of HBO’s hit series. Abby from The Last of Us Part II is best described as having arms, strength, and shoulders that would make an Olympic athlete jealous. It’s more than an appearance. It played into things that happened at the end of the game.
I recently wrote an article explaining why Abby doesn’t have to be big to be impactful. The biggest point is that this isn’t the video game universe. Certain things from the source material were altered in the show. For example, Joel didn't have panic attacks, and how he and Ellie met Sam and Henry was different. In both cases, it added depth to the story (and got Nick Offerman an Emmy). According to The Last of Us writer and creator, this will be the case for Abby in season 2.
Neil Druckmann says they didn't have Kaitlyn Dever bulk up to play Abby in ‘THE LAST OF US’ Season 2.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) February 3, 2025
“That doesn't play as big of a role in this version of the story... It's more about the drama”
(Source: https://t.co/lG7ulkc6c0) pic.twitter.com/p9Csxp7Bbl
"We would've struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role," Neil Druckman on casting Abby
In an Entertainment Weekly article, The Last of Us showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann address why Kaitlyn wasn’t asked to drink protein shakes and put on pounds of muscle to play Abby saying, “It's more about the drama. I'm not saying there's no action here. It's just, again, different priorities and how you approach it.” And if we’re being honest, that makes a lot of sense.
As I was reading the article, Craig Mazin gave another great reason why Abby isn’t big. “Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest? That's something that will be explored now and later.”
With everything else that goes on in Abby’s storyline, it makes sense that her build is last on the list of priorities. Among them are Abby’s nearly crippling fear of heights, building a friendship with Yara and Lev, and her relationship with Owen. And even those come secondary to why Abby is in this show, to begin with.
The upcoming season of The Last of Us will be an intense one. Viewers who’ve never played the game will see things that will force them to choose a side like when Joel saved Ellie. Except this time, fans may check out of the show because someone they love is mercilessly murdered. The people who stick around will likely be treated to something groundbreaking. It’ll show that the quality of a project can come behind someone’s build. If that isn’t reason enough, then explain why the 6′ 2″ Hugh Jackman can do a nearly perfect job playing the 5′ 3″ Wolverine. I’ll wait.
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