Kaitlyn Dever on Abby Role: 'Hard to Avoid Internet Spoilers'

Actress Kaitlyn Dever, who takes on the challenging role of Abby in HBO's *The Last of Us* Season 2, has openly discussed her struggle with resisting the urge to check online reactions. Abby, a character who has stirred significant controversy and toxicity within the gaming community, has led to real-life consequences for those associated with the game. Naughty Dog employees, including co-president Neil Druckmann and actress Laura Bailey, have faced harassment, including severe threats directed at Bailey, her parents, and her young child. HBO, aware of the potential for escalated reactions, provided Dever with extra security during filming.

Isabel Merced, who plays Dina in the series, highlighted the absurdity of the situation, stating, "There's so many strange people in this world because there are people that actually genuinely hate Abby, who is not a real person. Just a reminder: not a real person."

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In an interview with ScreenRant, Dever admitted the challenge of avoiding internet buzz about her portrayal of Abby. "Well, it's hard not to see those things on the internet," she said. She emphasized her desire to do justice to the character and satisfy fans by authentically bringing Abby to life. However, her primary focus remained on the collaborative effort with Druckmann and showrunner Craig Mazin to deeply understand Abby's emotional core, including her anger, frustration, and grief.

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Last month, Druckmann clarified that the HBO adaptation of *The Last of Us Part 2* would not portray Abby as a muscular character, as her role in Season 2 does not necessitate the same video game mechanics. In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, Druckmann and Mazin explained that Dever did not need to bulk up for the role, emphasizing that Abby's physicality was less important in the show's narrative, which focuses more on drama than on the game's action mechanics.

Druckmann highlighted the difference in gameplay between Ellie and Abby in the game, stating, "We would've struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role. In the game, you have to play both [Ellie and Abby] and we need them to play differently. We needed Ellie to feel smaller and kind of maneuver around, and Abby was meant to play more like Joel in that she's almost like a brute in the way she can physically manhandle certain things. That doesn't play as big of a role in this version of the story because there's not as much violent action moment to moment. It's more about the drama."

Mazin added a perspective on Abby's character, suggesting that the adaptation could explore a more vulnerable Abby, whose strength lies in her spirit rather than her physical prowess. He noted, "I personally think there is an amazing opportunity here to delve into someone who is perhaps physically more vulnerable than the Abby in the game, but whose spirit is stronger. And then the question is: 'Where does her formidable nature come from and how does it manifest?' That's something that will be explored now and later."

The mention of "now and later" hints at HBO's intention to extend *The Last of Us Part 2* beyond a single season, unlike Season 1, which covered the entirety of the original game. Mazin has previously mentioned that Part 2 has more story to tell, and while Season 3 is not yet confirmed, they have structured Season 2 to end with a "natural breakpoint" after seven episodes.