Kaitlyn Dever Officially Cast in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 as Abby

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It’s official: Kaitlyn Dever has joined the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us.

The No One Will Save You and Last Man Standing star has been cast in the role of Abby, a pivotal character in the PlayStation game upon which the postapocalyptic drama series is based.

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The character description: “Abby is a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.”

Dever has had a previous connection with the show, as the game’s fans lobbied for years for her to get the starring role of Ellie (which went to Bella Ramsey) given Dever’s striking resemblance to the Ellie character in the game. The 27-year-old even reportedly auditioned for the role, but producers wanted a younger actor for the part (Ramsey is 20).

“Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” said showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann in a joint statement. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro [Pascal], Bella and the rest of our family.”

TLOU season two is expected to start production in the spring and will return to HBO in 2025.

The show was nominated for 24 Emmys and has already won eight in the Creative Arts categories, including Nick Offerman for his guest actor role in the show’s acclaimed third episode and Storm Reid as guest actress. The show also picked up Emmys for picture editing, sound editing, sound mixing, main title design, visual effects and prosthetic makeup. Stars Ramsey and Pascal are among the nominees in categories whose winners will be announced during the Jan. 15 primetime ceremony on Fox.

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