Kaitlyn Dever Was Almost Cast as Ellie in The Last of Us
The Last of Us could've looked very differently with Kaitlyn Dever as Ellie. Here's what we know.
The Last of Us never fails to cause us colossal emotional damage. And while we were all still trying to process the brutal loss of Joel in Episode 2, Episode 3 rolled around and with it the devastatingly consequential Ellie's grief.
And while Bella Ramsey did a great job and took the episode very personally, in the alternative universe, we could've seen Kaitlyn Dever as Ellie.
Kaitlyn Dever Auditioned for the Role of Ellie: ‘I Really Wanted That Thing'
According to Entertainment Weekly, Kaitlyn Dever, who now portrays Abby, was once in serious consideration for the role of Ellie. Neil Druckmann (co-creator of The Last of Us games) even showed Dever the Naughty Dog game studio in hopes of her becoming the movie's Ellie. Yep, back then they wanted to make a movie.
“I would literally meet Neil at Naughty Dog and he would walk me around and show me how they created the game. And they were actually making the second game when I was there,” Dever reminisced.
Spoiler alert: the movie was never made and when the show came around, Bella Ramsey got the part. As for getting to play Abby, Dever said:
“I always thought about The Last of Us. I would say it was pretty surreal when it came back around in my life in a different way.”
Fans Are Still Divided on Ellie’s Casting in The Last of Us
Despite Ramsey proving time and time again that they're capable of pulling off Ellie, some fans are still curious of what could've been if Dever actually got the role.
“The way Kaitlyn portrayed Abby’s anger makes me believe that in another timeline, Kaitlyn would nail playing Part II Ellie since she’s so much darker and violent than she was in Part I. However, she also is a pretty good at portraying Abby’s intensity to the point that some lines she delivered sounded like Laura Bailey,” Redditor Domination1799 said.
“Bella was great casting for 14 year old Ellie, but Kaitlyn would have perfect for 19 year old Ellie. If that makes sense. Either way, both are great actors, and I'm glad we have both in the show,” Redditor SeanKelly97 wrote.
When & Where to Watch the Last of Us Season 2?
The Last of Us Season 2 continues to air every Sunday at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.
