It’s 6 a.m. in Brisbane, Australia, and Kaitlyn Dever is considering going to the seashore. Besides it’s pouring rain exterior, which is the one motive she had the choice to take a look at the waves within the first place. The deluge has delayed her name time for “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,” the monster film she’s been taking pictures for the previous couple of months.
Simply how laborious is it raining? Like a traditional downpour? Or is it the form of deluge we see within the remaining minutes of the season finale of “The Last of Us”?
“It’s actually pouring like the finale of ‘The Last of Us,’” Dever says, laughing.
With the seashore off the menu, we have now loads of time to settle in and discuss concerning the bruising (and probably complicated) season finale of “The Last of Us.” Anybody considering that the finale would possibly characteristic a showdown between Dever’s character, Abby Anderson, the younger lady who killed Joel (Pedro Pascal) to avenge her father’s loss of life, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who has been searching Abby to actual her personal revenge, could be dissatisfied.
Abby doesn’t flip up till the episode’s final three minutes. When she does lastly arrive, she ambushes Ellie. It’s not a young reunion.
“I let you live,” Abby hisses. “And you wasted it!”
Then we hear the sound of a gunshot and the display goes black. After a reset, we see Abby mendacity on a settee in a completely completely different atmosphere, being beckoned from her respite to satisfy with militia chief Isaac (Jeffrey Wright). She strides to a balcony in Seattle’s T-Cellular Park, the stadium now getting used as a base for the Washington Liberation Entrance. Her entrance is positively papal, and as Abby surveys the scene, a graphic lands on the display: Seattle Day One, a time-frame we’ve already lived from Ellie’s perspective.
What the hell simply occurred?
[Laughs] I don’t know. I do not know.
It appears just like the present simply reset and we’ll be beginning Season 3 following Abby for 3 days, main as much as her confrontation with Ellie.
One would assume, sure. However [“The Last of Us” co-creator] Craig [Mazin] hasn’t talked to me about what he’s doing. All he mentioned to me was, “Just get ready for what’s to come because it’s going to be crazier.” He all the time mentioned he needed to make Season 2 larger than Season 1, and he mentioned Season 3 goes to be even larger. I’m like, “OK. I’ll be ready.”
How did he pitch you on doing the present within the first place?
At my first assembly with Craig and Neil [Druckmann, co-creator of “The Last of Us” game] they advised me that their plan for Season 2 was Abby’s introduction to “The Last of Us” world. They advised me the variety of episodes, so I wasn’t tremendous shocked about that, although I wasn’t considering that the whole season was going to finish on me. [Laughs]
So if you bought the script and skim that ending …
I used to be like, “We’re really doing this. Wow.” It’s plenty of strain. I all the time take into consideration the occasions in my previous after I’ve executed issues and I’ve had one line in a scene, and it’s probably the most nerve-racking factor to do. Everybody else has dialogue, and also you’re simply serious about your one line and the way you’re going to say it and in case you screw it up, the entire scene is screwed up due to your one line. It’s fairly terrifying — however thrilling too.
You’re speaking about Abby telling Ellie, “You wasted it”? You actually spit it out with some warmth.
That’s good to know. I used to be going forwards and backwards between Vancouver and L.A., so I consistently needed to recalibrate and get again into the emotional depth of Abby. That was really the final scene I shot.
How did you discover your means again into Abby’s anger?
Properly, the very first scene I shot was the killing of Joel. The sunshine one. [Laughs] So getting again into it, I’d all the time return to that and Abby’s monologue, what she says to Joel earlier than taking pictures him. These phrases are so visceral and heartbreaking and actually paint an image. So I simply saved bringing myself again to that place, how I’d been serious about saying these phrases for 5 years.
Abby’s brutal encounter with Ellie in Seattle was the final scene Dever shot on “The Last of Us” Season 2.
(Liane Hentscher / HBO)
Did you watch that Joel episode when it aired or had you already seen it?
I did watch it with my accomplice. However the first time I watched it, I used to be on my own. And earlier than that, I had gone to do ADR [automated dialogue replacement] with Craig, and he requested, “Can I just show you a little bit of it?” And I used to be on the ground as a result of I used to be so overwhelmed. That’s the most intense episode of tv I’ve ever seen. After which after I watched it later, I couldn’t imagine it, although I had skilled it myself.
You had skilled it, however you’ve mentioned you don’t actually bear in mind filming it as a result of it was 4 days after your mom’s funeral. [Dever’s mother, Kathy, died from breast cancer in February 2024.] In some methods, it should have been such as you have been watching it for the primary time.
I needed to fly out three days after her funeral. And the fourth day was that scene within the chalet with the Fireflies and Joel on the ground. So, yeah, it’s all a blur, and it felt like I bought to expertise it as a first-time viewer. I’d see issues and go, “Oh, yeah.” Grief does a extremely attention-grabbing factor along with your mind. It messes along with your reminiscence.
Filming the scene the place you brutally kill one of the beloved characters on tv goes again to what you have been saying about strain. And to do it beneath these circumstances should have been overwhelming.
I used to be terrified. I had spent a lot time considering my mother’s loss of life earlier than she died, serious about how I wouldn’t be capable of go on. I couldn’t think about. After which it’s a heartbreaking factor to consider, how life strikes on. And you’ve got the selection to maintain going or not go to Vancouver and do the present that she was so enthusiastic about me doing. After which after she handed, I spotted there’s no a part of me that couldn’t not do that. I needed to do it for her.
How did you struggle previous the concern?
My dad actually inspired me. I actually was terrified. And he was like, “You got this. Mom was so excited that you got to be in this show.” And fortunately, the crew was so understanding and supportive. Everybody took care of me.
Then it’s 15 months later and the episode lastly airs, which I’d think about brings a few completely different set of worries. Did you go surfing to take a look at the response?
After all I did! I kill everybody’s favourite character, the love of everybody’s life. I’d by no means been a part of something this large earlier than. Like, the entire world is watching this. I had no thought what to anticipate.
And what did you discover?
It was extra constructive than I assumed it will be.
I didn’t play the sport, so one in all my first ideas after watching it was: Wow, avid gamers can maintain a secret.
They will. I liked watching all these TikTok movies the place individuals have been filming their dad and mom or companions watching and displaying their reactions.
Having performed the sport, you’ve recognized about Abby and Joel for years.
My dad was taking part in the second recreation and handed me the controller and mentioned, “Kaitlyn, you’ve got to see this.” Within the recreation, it’s so jarring and stunning.
On TV too!
[Laughs] However with the sport, after they kill Joel, swiftly you’re taking part in as a lady. And my first response was, “Is this Ellie? Am I playing as Ellie?” It’s attention-grabbing how they take these two characters who’re mirrors of one another in some ways.
Dever’s Abby surveys the motion inside T-Cellular Park on “Seattle Day One.”
(Liane Hentscher / HBO)
I used to be serious about the way it’d be nice if Season 3 would have an episode with Abby and her father that mirrored the one with Ellie and Joel.
That’s a extremely good thought. I hope we get to do one thing like that.
I’ve a sense you would possibly. Possibly you even know one thing about that. [Laughs]
Actually, I can maintain a secret too! I knew about Joel dying lengthy earlier than even Season 1 as a result of I had met with Neil years in the past after they have been speaking about making a film from the sport. And he was displaying me the making of the second recreation and requested, “You want to know what happens?” And I’m like, “Oh, my God!” So I’ve been protecting this in a very long time.
So that you’re good at protecting a secret. Players know the way Season 3 is more likely to develop. You’ve performed the sport. Are you being coy?
[Laughs] We don’t know what Craig’s plans are. He has been taking part in with dynamics, even in that first episode of the season the place we see Abby taking cost and being a frontrunner.
She positive appears like she’s a frontrunner within the finale’s final scene.
That scene performs at the concept that Abby is sitting in her energy. And no matter which means, I’ll maintain to myself for now. Individuals who have performed the sport could have a number of guesses.
Once you went to work on “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova” the day after the Abby/Joel episode aired, did individuals deal with you somewhat otherwise? Possibly maintain their distance a bit? Conceal the golf golf equipment?
It was fairly wild to go to work that day. Everybody needed to speak about it. And all they might actually get out was, “Oooooof, that episode.”
One factor I saved on the lookout for all season was the place they used CGI to take away a spider chunk out of your face. I couldn’t discover it.
[Laughs] It’s within the first episode with the Fireflies. I had gone residence for a number of weeks and bought a spider chunk on my cheek. I assumed it was a pimple. It was not a pimple. It was an enormous spider chunk and … I hate to make use of this phrase, but it surely was oozing. And the CGI is wonderful. You may’t even inform it’s there. I nonetheless have a scar on my face as a result of they needed to lower it out.
So, to summarize: a really eventful shoot for you.
For a lot of causes. I’ll always remember it.
