Nick Offerman discussed his role and experience working on HBO’s highly-acclaimed series adaptation of The Last of Us, which has premiered to positive reviews. The series stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie’s lead characters and features a mix of familiar and new characters. It is expected to become a major franchise for the studio. Offerman spoke with Deadline at the LA premiere of the series.
Nick Offerman will play the role of Bill, a character who is an aid to Joel and owes him a favor. He will be an important figure in Joel and Ellie’s journey, but it is not revealed how exactly. Offerman has joked that he is not familiar with the video game and has not played any since 1998. He got the role because of his friendship with the series creator Craig Mazin, who thought Offerman would be suitable for a character that needs to do some physical tasks like digging and shooting in the rain.
The actor expressed admiration for the series production, saying “It’s a prestige series, and everywhere I looked on set, I was amazed at the level of detail and effort put into it. I couldn’t stop telling my wife about it”. He also shared excitement about the opportunity to work with Murray Bartlett, saying “When I received the script and saw that I would be working with Murray Bartlett, I was surprised and thrilled.
The Last of Us is a story about Joel, a skilled survivor who turns to smuggle in a world ravaged by a deadly fungus called Cordyceps. He is tasked to escort Ellie, a teenager who is immune to the infection, across a post-apocalyptic America in search of a cure. Together they navigate through harsh weather, infected monsters known as Clickers, and hostile survivor groups during an arduous journey that tests their strength and endurance.
Mazin and Neil Druckmann collaborated on the creation and writing of the series. Along with Offerman, Pascal, and Ramsey, other cast members include Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, the head of a revolutionary movement, Rutina Wesley as Maria, Tommy’s wife and the head of a settlement in Jackson, Anna Torv as Tess, Joel’s smuggling partner, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Joel’s younger brother, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, the head of the Fireflies, Bartlett as Frank, Bill’s partner, and Anna
On January 15, The Last of Us makes its debut. Below are Offerman’s comments, which you may read: