Kaitlyn Dever on Abby Role: 'Hard to Ignore Internet Buzz'

Actress Kaitlyn Dever has opened up about her role as Abby in the much-anticipated second season of HBO's The Last of Us, sharing her struggles with resisting the urge to check online reactions to her portrayal. The character of Abby has been a focal point of significant online vitriol, with some fans directing their anger not just at the character but also harassing Naughty Dog employees, including co-president Neil Druckmann and actress Laura Bailey. This harassment extended to threats and abusive messages targeting Bailey, her parents, and even her young child.

The intensity of the backlash has led HBO to take precautionary measures, providing Dever with additional security during the filming of Season 2. Isabel Merced, who plays Dina in the same season, 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."

The Last of Us Season 2 Character Posters

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In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Dever addressed the anticipation surrounding her portrayal of Abby, admitting, "Well, it's hard not to see those things on the internet." She elaborated on her approach to the role, emphasizing her desire to honor the character and satisfy fans. "It's hard not to stop myself from looking at it every once in a while, especially going into this, for sure. And I want to do this character justice and make the fans proud by bringing her to life in this kind of way."

Dever's primary focus, however, has been on collaborating closely with Neil Druckmann and co-showrunner Craig Mazin to capture the essence of Abby. "But my main focus was just the collaboration between Neil and Craig [Mazin], and making sure I was really getting to the core of who she is and what drives her and her emotional state; her anger and her frustration and her grief and all of that. I wanted to make sure that that was what I was focusing most of my energy on."

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Last month, Druckmann revealed that the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us Part 2 would not portray Abby as the muscular character seen in the game, as the series' needs differ from the video game mechanics. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Druckmann and Mazin discussed how Dever's portrayal of Abby would focus less on physical prowess. "We would've struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role," Druckmann noted. "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."

He further explained that the show's narrative prioritizes drama over constant violent action. "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. I'm not saying there's no action here. It's just, again, different priorities and how you approach it."

Mazin added his perspective, highlighting the opportunity to explore Abby's emotional depth. "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."

This "now and later" comment suggests HBO's intention to extend The Last of Us Part 2 story beyond a single season, unlike Season 1, which adapted the entirety of the first game. While Season 3 has not yet been officially confirmed, Mazin has indicated that Season 2 is designed with a "natural breakpoint" after seven episodes, setting the stage for further exploration of the rich narrative of The Last of Us Part 2.