ELLE Magazine: Kaitlyn Dever on Bringing Humanity to Abby in THE LAST OF US

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Kaitlyn Dever’s casting as Abby in THE LAST OF US Season 2 sparked immediate fan reaction—and in a new ELLE interview by culture writer Lauren Puckett-Pope, Dever addresses it head-on. From confronting controversy around her physicality to exploring the emotional depths of one of gaming’s most polarizing characters, Dever gets candid about how she’s preparing to bring Abby to life for a whole new audience.

With insights from co-star Spencer Lord (Owen), the piece explores how Dever’s intensity and vulnerability reframe Abby not only as a villain, but as a deeply human, emotionally complex survivor.

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Kaitlyn Dever on being chosen for the role of Abby and the controversy around her character: “I really do want to make the fans proud, but I can’t control what people are going to say,” Dever says. “I have to trust myself and trust my instincts.” She also trusted in the confidence Druckmann and Mazin had in casting her: “That was helpful for me, to let all of the other nerves about playing someone a bit controversial float away—because they chose me to take this on.”

Spencer Lord (who plays Abby’s friend and love interest, Owen) on Dever’s portrayal of Abby: The Abby in the game is “built like a WWE wrestler,” says Spencer Lord, who plays Abby’s friend and love interest, Owen, in the TV series. “There’s an intimidation factor just from looking at her [muscles]. Kaitlyn gets that job done simply with her eyes.”

Kaitlyn Dever on humanizing Abby for the screen: “I wanted a lot of the broken parts of Abby to show through in her eyes—I wanted to humanize her as much as I possibly could,” she says. “It’s easy to call Abby a villain because of how she presents herself in the world—her tough exterior. But [she’s also] this raw, broken, vulnerable person. It’s important to see that.”

Now she considers Abby’s grief the key to humanizing the character for a new audience. “Pain and grief and how it manifests itself—I think it’s really important to always show that in a raw way,” Dever says. “If Abby’s experience makes someone feel a little more seen as they’re dealing with loss, I think that’s a really good thing.”

Kaitlyn Dever on the serendipity of playing Abby: “I’m excited for people to see this version of Abby,” she says. “It really does feel like…‘Whoa.’ This series was, strangely, I think, meant to be in my life. Always. It just was a matter of time.”

Editor-in-chief: Nina Garcia
Photographer: Tina Tyrell
Stylist: Carson Stannard
Writer: Lauren Puckett-Pope
Hair: John D at Forward Artists
Makeup: Kara Yoshimoto for Chanel Beauty
Manicure: Emi Kudo for Dior

[Photo Credit: Tina Tyrell for ELLE Magazine]

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