As the HBO series sees Joel meet his fate at the hands of Abby, ‘The Last of Us: Part II’s Abby actress Laura Bailey has reflected on the “intense” fan reaction to the scene from the game.
‘The Last of Us: Part II’s Abby actress Laura Bailey knew the reaction to Joel’s death was “going to be intense”.
As the HBO show based on the Naughty Dog game sees Joel (Pedro Pascal) meet his end at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), Bailey – who portrayed Abby in ‘The Last of Us: Part II’ – has admitted she knew the gutwrenching scene was “going to be controversial” with fans.
She told Vulture: “I knew it was going to be intense. I knew it was going to be controversial. But I was still so excited to share it with the world, because I poured so much into that performance, and I was really proud of it.”
The scene of Joel’s death had leaked online before ‘The Last of Us: Part II’ released in 2020, which resulted in Bailey receiving death threats.
The actress admitted it was “really tough” to receive threatening messages, adding she was “not prepared” for the intense reaction.
Recalling the filming of the scene, Bailey said “the hardest part” was hearing Ellie actress Ashley Johnson’s “wracking sobs” as Abby killed Joel (as played by Troy Baker).
She said: “I remember, on that day, looking in Troy’s eyes as we were doing that scene. It’s a memory I’ll never forget.
“And the hardest part of it was when Ashley would enter the scene. I was completely focused on Troy, and from behind me, all I could hear was Ashley’s wracking sobs.
“I knew the camera was going to be filming from behind me, so I was just sobbing, because of the emotions of the scene. Knowing what I had just done, and taken away from her.”
The Last of Us: Part II Abby actress reflects on ‘really tough’ backlash to Joel’s death
