Kaitlyn Dever, who plays Abby in HBO’s upcoming second season of The Last of Us, faced extra security during filming because of the strong negative reactions towards her character.
On a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Isabela Merced, who plays Dina, shared that HBO increased security for Dever due to worries about the hostility aimed at Abby.
This precaution follows the harassment and death threats that voice actress Laura Bailey received after playing Abby in the video game. Merced praised Dever’s courage in taking on such a controversial role and highlighted her excellent performance.
“Give her the damn Emmy, honestly,” Merced said, showing her excitement for fans to see Dever’s portrayal alongside Bella Ramsey’s Ellie.
Merced explained that the extreme negativity surrounding Abby Anderson meant extra help was needed to keep Dever safe from those who might have trouble distinguishing between fiction and reality. She said:
“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. Kaitlyn had to be extra secured by security when it came to the filming of this.”
Why Is Abby Anderson So Controversial in ‘The Last of Us’?
Abby is one of the most controversial characters in The Last of Us Part II mainly because she kills Joel, a beloved character from the first game, early in the story. Joel’s death shocked and upset many fans, as he was the main character of the original game and had a strong emotional connection with players.
The game then requires players to control Abby for a large part of the story, asking them to empathize with her and understand her reasons. This narrative choice, which goes against expectations and challenges players’ loyalties, caused strong reactions.
Some fans had difficulty accepting Abby’s actions, leading to division among the fanbase and, unfortunately, to toxic behavior, including harassment and threats aimed at those involved with the character’s creation, like voice actress Laura Bailey.
Bailey received hateful messages and death threats. This negative behavior went beyond critiquing the character and became personal, impacting Bailey and her family.
Despite this, Bailey received support from the gaming community and industry peers, who condemned the harassment. She later expressed thanks for the positive messages that helped balance out the negativity.
Bailey also won the Best Performance award at the 2020 Game Awards. Her performance, despite the controversy, was praised for its emotional depth and complexity.
This recognition highlighted the skill and dedication she brought to the role. Her win was seen as a significant achievement, especially given the intense scrutiny and criticism surrounding the character of Abby. The Last of Us will return to HBO in 2025.
