Abby Anderson is a force to be reckoned with when we meet her in The Last of Us season two and is set to change the world we see on screen completely.
Abby has a score to settle when it comes to our leading characters, Joel and Ellie. Smart, strong and forceful, Abby is a mission driven woman.
Speaking ahead of season two, Kaitlyn Dever speaks about her long-standing history with The Last of Us, why it’s so important to her, and how her own story ties into Abby’s motivations.
You have a long history with creator Neil Druckman and The Last of Us game. Can you talk more about that?
Yes, around 10 years ago there was talk of it being made into a movie. I had played the game, and I talked to Neil about potentially playing Ellie. I went to Naughty Dog and he showed me around. That was very cool for young Kaitlyn.
Then, as things often do in movie making, it kind of went away for a while. And I did Uncharted with Neil — he asked me to play Nathan Drake’s daughter in the fourth game. So I got a little mo-cap experience out of it. Then the Last of Us movie officially did not happen, and I grew up!
But the game was a real bonding moment for me and my dad; we used to play together. It was very special.
What was the most striking difference you noticed about acting for a game versus film or television?
Everything is in blocks. Everything you’re touching is a piece of foam or you’re wearing a ridiculous suit. I’d never done anything like that before. It was literally just like a couple days of work, I think, but it was so cool that Neil asked me to do it!
Had you ever thought of yourself as an action star, or someone who could do that kind of work, which is really different from quiet, more character-study driven work?
I don’t think I had. I’ve really only seen it in the context of [actor] Andy Serkis and Lord of the Rings—which is definitely not what I was doing playing a young girl in the game. But I guess what makes game work distinct from live-action work is that you have to do a lot more work in your head and use your imagination.
The suspension of disbelief is a bit more rigorous.
Yes, and the need to convince yourself of your surroundings and what you’re wearing because so much of character work is in clothes, or the amount of dirt you have on your face, but you have none of that when you’re doing motion-capture work.
How then were you ultimately cast to play Abby in season 2 of The Last of Us?
Season one came out and I watched it immediately— it was so good. My dad and I watched it. We were big fans and so happy that it became a TV show, and then I got a call about playing Abby in season two and had a meeting with Craig and Neil.
They sat me down and asked me to play Abby. It was really that simple. It felt so easy and I was very so excited to take on this role. It was exciting that they had so much confidence in me. It really felt like they trusted that I was the right person.
Sometimes people see things in you that you can’t see in yourself.
That’s exactly what happened.
How much do we know about Abby outside of what we see in season 2?
I believe she was someone who was very smart and highly trained, and a woman who was very close with her dad.
She has a very strong leader energy. Even when she’s unsure of herself, she’s still finding a way to think of a plan B and a plan C. Post her father’s death, she uses grief as her main force and drive. It controls her decision-making obviously and kind of takes over her entire life.