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

Actress Kaitlyn Dever, set to portray Abby in HBO's eagerly awaited Season 2 of *The Last of Us*, has openly discussed her struggle to resist checking online reactions to her character. Abby, a pivotal and controversial figure from the game, has attracted significant negativity and even prompted real-world harassment towards Naughty Dog staff, including co-president Neil Druckmann and actress Laura Bailey, who voiced Abby in the game. This hostility extended to threats and abuse directed at Bailey, her family, and even her young child.

Recognizing the potential for escalated fan reactions, HBO took precautionary measures during the filming of Season 2, providing Dever with additional security. 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 a candid interview with ScreenRant, Dever admitted the challenge of ignoring internet buzz, saying, "Well, it's hard not to see those things on the internet. 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."

However, her primary focus remains on the collaboration with Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, aiming to capture Abby's essence, including her anger, frustration, and grief. Dever emphasized, "But my main focus was just the collaboration between Neil and Craig, 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 shared insights into how the HBO adaptation would handle Abby's character, noting that her physicality would be less emphasized compared to the game. He explained to Entertainment Weekly that Dever's portrayal wouldn't require her to bulk up, as the show's focus shifts from the game's mechanics to the drama. "We would've struggled to find someone as good as Kaitlyn to play this role," Druckmann remarked, highlighting the differences in how Abby and Ellie's roles are portrayed in the series versus the game.

Craig Mazin added that the series presents an opportunity to explore a more vulnerable Abby, whose strength lies in her spirit rather than her physical prowess. "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," he said, hinting at future explorations of her character's resilience and nature.

Mazin's reference to "now and later" suggests HBO's plan to extend *The Last of Us Part 2* beyond a single season. Unlike Season 1, which covered the entire first game, Season 2 will only adapt part of the sequel's narrative, with a "natural breakpoint" after seven episodes, paving the way for potential future seasons to delve deeper into Abby's story and the broader universe of *The Last of Us*.