Melanie Lynskey Analyses Last of Us Character

When The Last of Us co-creator Craig Mazin pitched a role in the series to New Zealand-born actor Melanie Lynskey, he started with a bang: “He called me and said, ‘I would love for you to play a war criminal,’” Lynskey tells Variety’s Katcy Stephan.

Lynskey plays Kathleen who may not immediately appear to have what it takes to pilot an uprising, but that’s just where Lynskey hopes to subvert expectations.

“It’s interesting when there’s this huge group of people who’ve mobilised to overthrow the government, and there’s been this violent coup … and then you see who’s in charge of it,” Lynskey says. “And she’s just like, ‘Oh, hi.’ I wanted her to be kind of delicate. I wanted it to be surprising.”

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama television series made for HBO and is based on the 2013 video game.

Original article by Katcy Stephan, Variety, February 5, 2023.