Kaitlyn Dever’s first appearance in HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 came during one of the show’s most shocking and emotional scenes — Abby’s brutal killing of Joel, played by Pedro Pascal. But behind the scenes, the moment carried even more emotional weight for Dever, who revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that she filmed the pivotal sequence just days after her mother’s funeral.
Dever’s mother passed away in February 2024 after a long, 14-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. The loss came only weeks before production began, leaving Dever in the thick of grief as she stepped onto set. “I lost my mom two or three weeks before I actually shot this scene,” Dever said. “My mom’s funeral was three days before my first day. I was in a fog. I was in a daze.”
The scene — a faithful adaptation of a key moment from The Last of Us Part II video game — demanded a lot from Dever, both physically and emotionally. It wasn’t just the intensity of the scene itself, but also the challenge of diving into a controversial character under such personal strain.
Understanding the emotional toll, the show’s creators made significant efforts to support her. Co-creator Craig Mazin and the crew adjusted the production schedule, starting with scenes that didn’t require her, and gave Dever the freedom to choose when she felt emotionally prepared to perform. “Take your time. Take all the time you need,” Mazin told her. “While I care extraordinarily about the show, it’s a TV show. I’m not going to disrupt someone’s grieving process.”
The scene was shot on a closed set to maintain privacy and comfort for Dever. Without the ability to rely on her usual actor preparation methods, she let her instincts guide her performance. “I wasn’t actually able to do my normal routine,” she admitted. “But I think that really served the character. I just really let it go and didn’t overthink it.”
Despite the emotional hurdles, Dever’s portrayal of Abby has already made a strong impression, praised for its raw and powerful realism. Even Pedro Pascal reflected on the depth of their on-screen confrontation, saying, “It’s ironic that something so violent and tragic between characters can immediately bond you to the actor.”
While Abby’s entrance may be one of the most polarizing moments of the series, it also underscores the profound resilience Dever showed behind the scenes — transforming personal grief into a performance that resonates deeply with fans.
