Abby, meet Abby: The Last of Us 2 voice actor reacts to HBO casting: "Let me know if you need a workout buddy"

Abby Anderson in The Last of Us Part II
(Image credit: Naughty Dog)

The voice actor who played Abby in The Last of Us 2 has responded to HBO's casting of the same character for the second season of the TV show, and she's just as excited as we all are.

In case you missed it, HBO announced today that Kaitlyn Dever will play Abby in The Last of Us season 2 after a good deal of speculation. If you haven't played the game, Abby was introduced in The Last of Us 2 and dramatically changed the trajectory of the plot after being involved in a pivotal, and extremely controversial, scene involving protagonist Joel Miller. As the TV show is likely to continue following the plot from the game closely, this article won't contain spoilers, but suffice it to say, Abby's casting is a big deal.

Consequently, Abby's voice actor, Laura Bailey, has shared a brief reaction to the news, asking her TV show counterpart if she'd be up for a gym sesh.

"Huge congrats, Kaitlyn!" Bailey wrote on Twitter. "So excited to see Abby's evolution in your performance! Let me know if you want a workout buddy."

While Bailey provided the voice for Abby, it was Jocelyn Mettler who the character's face was modeled after. Troy Baker played Joel in the games, while Pedro Pascal took on the role for the show. Likewise, Ashley Johnson played Ellie in the games, while Bella Ramsey took over for the show.

The Last of Us season 2 is due to premiere on HBO in 2025. Looking for something to watch in the meantime? Here's a list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2024 and beyond.

Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.