Kaitlyn Dever’s The Final of Us debut got here beneath heartbreaking circumstances. In a current interview with Leisure Weekly, the Emmy nominee revealed she filmed her first main scene for Season 2 — Abby’s brutal killing of Pedro Pascal’s Joel — solely three days after her mom’s funeral. The timing, she admitted, left her emotionally unprepared, however the forged and crew made changes to ease her into the method.
“It was only a huge scene emotionally, and with blocking, too,” Dever mentioned, recalling the chaotic and overwhelming nature of the shoot. Her mom, who had battled metastatic breast most cancers for 14 years, handed away in February 2024 — simply weeks earlier than manufacturing started.
Dever admitted she was nonetheless deep in grief when cameras began rolling. “I misplaced my mother two or three weeks earlier than I truly shot this scene… My mother’s funeral was three days earlier than I did my first day. So I used to be form of in a fog. I used to be in a daze,” she shared.
The Final of Us creators shortly moved to accommodate her, overhauling the shot schedule to start with protection that didn’t require her presence. Dever was additionally allowed to decide on when she felt emotionally able to step into the function. “Take your time. Take on a regular basis you want,” collection co-creator Craig Mazin informed her. “Whereas I care terribly in regards to the present, it’s a TV present. I’m not going to disrupt somebody’s grieving course of.”
The scene in query — Abby torturing and finally killing Joel — mirrors the violent second in The Final of Us Half II online game. The manufacturing set was closed, limiting personnel and providing Dever privateness. As a result of she couldn’t comply with her common prep routine as an actor, she leaned into intuition. “I wasn’t truly in a position to do my regular routine… however I believe that actually served the character. I simply actually let it go and didn’t overthink it.”
Regardless of the emotional weight, Dever’s efficiency has already made waves, resonating with followers for its uncooked authenticity. As Pedro Pascal famous, “It’s ironic that one thing so violent and tragic between characters can instantly bond you to the actor.” And whereas Abby’s introduction marks one of many collection’ most intense moments, it additionally displays the resilience of an actress navigating grief with grace — each on and off display.
ALSO READ: Pedro Pascal Admits Turning into Reed Richards For MCU’s Implausible 4 Was ‘Intimidating’ And Reveals Why