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Credit: HBO MaxThe Last of Us is quickly becoming one of the most respected media franchises of all time. However, one beloved actor looks back on the project less fondly because of the death threats sent to her son.
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Last year, the Last of Us quickly became one of the most talked about shows. Its fully realized world, terrifying clickers, and dramatic yet heartfelt writing caused the show to become a phenomenon.
This was all complimented by excellent performances by Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Nick Offerman as Bill, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen Coghlan, and Storm Reid as Riley Abel.
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However, The Last of Us didn’t start as a television show. It was originally a video game created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation, starring Troy Baker as Joel and Ashley Johnson as Ellie. Now, season two of the HBO series is set to cover the second video game. Unfortunately, the actors involved may need to seek caution.
Death Threats Were Sent To ‘The Last of Us Part II’ Cast
The Last of Us (2013) proved to be one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved video games ever. Its sequel, The Last of Us Part II (2020), proved much more divisive. This caused some fans to write death threats to the development team and cast. One of these cast members was Laura Bailey, a beloved actor known for Critical Role and voice-over performances like Mary Jane Watson in the Insomniac Spider-Man video games and multiple Disney characters.
In the Last of Us Part II, Bailey plays Abby, a young girl who seeks vengeance on Joel for killing her father, the surgeon who was going to perform the surgery on Ellie. Overall, the visceral fan reaction to the game caused them to go too far, as she revealed in the “making of” documentary for the game.
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“Every time I went online, that was all I saw,” reflected Bailey. “Just death threats and threats of violence. The worst of it, the really hardcore death threats, got passed along. They made sure they weren’t anyone who lived close by.” Bailey’s face then welled up with tears as she said, “Yeah, they were, like, threatening my son, you know, who was born during all of this. And… It was rough. More than anything it just kind of, like, taught me to keep a distance, you know?”
This is disgusting. There are no other words for it. In the second season, Abby will be played by Kaitlyn Dever. Hopefully, people will take the proper precautions to keep her and the rest of the ensemble safe.
Do you think changes should be made to Abby in The Last of Us season two to help protect the actor? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below.