The Last of Us star Kaitlyn Dever reacts to criticism of her casting as Abby: ‘I would’ve never not done it’

The Last of Us is often criticized for its casting. Being adapted from a massively popular game, the show often comes under scrutiny of fans for the smallest of things, and even its actors have to bear the wrath.

From Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey to Kaitlyn Dever, the lead actors have had a tough time, as a section of the audience has reacted strongly to their casting in the series. Dever, who plays the antagonist Abby, was even trolled for not looking similar enough to the game character.

The actress has now opened up about how she dealt with all the trolling and criticism. In an interview with Deadline, Denver said that when she signed for The Last of Us, she knew there could be backlash. However, it did not deter her decision to star in the series as she loved her role so much. She said:

“Of course, this was something I thought about when I signed on to The Last of Us. It was also a topic of conversation when I was in my meeting with Craig and Neil [series creators]. And in no way did it make me afraid or scared to take on the role. I would’ve never not done it because of the fear of reading the internet after the show comes out, or what people might think of me and my portrayal of Abby, because I loved the role so much that it outweighed all of that.”

Kaitlyn Dever addresses how she dealt with criticism about her casting in The Last of Us

During the interview, Kaitlyn Dever added that despite not being afraid of backlash, she ended up looking at some troubling comments when she first appeared as Abby in The Last of Us Season 2. However, she is a lot calmer for Season 3 as she trusts the production crew, who made sure she had a comfortable time on the set:

“It’s tricky because, obviously, I look at the internet and I saw things when they first came out. I’m human, so I can’t help but look at those things. But ultimately, if I’m thinking about Season 3, I have a sense of comfort knowing that I’m in really good hands. In Season 2, I felt so taken care of and so supported just by the crew and everybody that I was working with, so that gives me a sense of safety.”

Dever further said that after some initial criticism, people did end up loving The Last of Us Season 2, so she is finally free from any fear or hesitation and only has excitement to get back on the set:

“Also, there is comfort in the fact that people did love Season 2. So, I just have to trust my instincts and trust myself moving forward. The scripts, the dialogue, and the story is so amazing that I’m not at all going into Season 3 with any sort of fear or hesitation. It’s pure excitement to be part of such a cool show.”

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Kaitlyn Dever played a recurring character as Abby in The Last of Us Season 2 and proved to be a major antagonist for the leads, Joel and Ellie. For her performance, Denver has earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She has been upped to series regular in Season 3, which will showcase Abby’s point of view.

The Last of Us Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on HBO Max.

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