Annie Wersching, ‘24’ Actor and Voice of Tess in ‘The Last of Us,’ Dies at 45

Annie Wersching, an actor known for her work on television shows like 24 and Marvel’s Runaways, as well as for her voice and motion-capture work in the video game The Last of Us, has died, her publicist confirmed to Deadline on Sunday. She was 45.

Wersching’s death comes after a cancer diagnosis in 2020, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support her family. “She's a private person by nature, and the diagnosis made her even more so,” read the page, created by fellow Runaways actor Ever Carradine. “She wanted to protect her boys. She wanted to get better so she could continue working. And honestly, she just didn't really want to talk about it. She wanted to live her life, on her terms, and be with her family.”

It was not immediately clear what type of cancer Wersching had been battling for more than two years.

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In a statement issued to Deadline, her husband, the actor Stephen Full, said, “There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it.”

“She found wonder in the simplest moment,” he continued. “She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.”

Full was joined in memorializing Wersching by 24 director and producer Jon Cassar, who called the actor more than a colleague, and a true friend. “My heart is broken in more pieces than I can count,” he said in a statement. “Annie came into my world with an open heart and a contagious smile. Brandishing such talent, she took my breath away.”

Wersching was born in 1977 in St. Louis, Missouri. Her career began with a guest spot on a 2002 episode of Star Trek: Enterprise just three years after graduating with a degree in musical theater. She followed that up with several more stints on shows like Charmed, Supernatural, and General Hospital before moving on to larger parts. In 2009, she began playing FBI Special Agent Renee Walker on the acclaimed drama 24, and eventually completed a two-season arc as a series regular.

Two years after her final appearance on 24, it was announced that Walker would serve as the voice and motion-capture actor of Tess Servopoulos in The Last of Us, the old smuggling partner of playable protagonist Joel Miller.

Neil Druckmann, the creative director of The Last of Us, tweeted Sunday, “We just lost a beautiful artist and human being. My heart is shattered.”

Wersching’s final role brought her career full circle last year, when she starred on the second and most recent season of Star Trek: Picard as the alien Borg Queen.

She is survived by Full and their three young sons, Freddie, 12; Ozzie, 9; and Archie, 4.

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