Melanie Lynskey (“The Last of Us”) defends herself from model criticism of her physique and the character she plays

It happens all the time, but especially with big adaptations: fans are overly picky and have negative opinions about everything from plot to casting. HBO Max’s most recent hit, ‘The Last of Us’ is considered one of the best video game adaptations to date, but it’s still no exception. One such example is Bella Ramsey, who had to endure a lot of negativity to be cast as Ellie, a role she is now more than flattered for. The new fixation of some followers of the series is Melanie Lynskey, the guerrilla leader who was incorporated in the fourth chapter and of which we will see much more in the fifth.. This put her in the spotlight and generated thousands of reactions, the overwhelming majority positive; others, not so much.

In a since-deleted tweet, model Adrianne Curry claimed Lynskey wasn’t right to play the character Kathleen Coghlan based on a photo of the actress posing for a cover of fashion magazine InStyle. “Her body suggests she’s lived a life of luxury…not that she’s a leading guerrilla in a post-apocalyptic world. Where is Linda Hamilton when you need her?”, wrote the model, referring to Hamilton’s famous role in ‘Terminator,’ where she acts the archetype of a determined, muscular and sexy female fighter. For the model, Lynskey apparently didn’t have the body such a character should have. Fortunately, the actress has things very clear and has answered openly, first noting that it is a photo from a magazine and not a frame from the series (where obviously she is not wearing a dress and cape), and then explaining what it is really about Kath. And no, it’s not her physique: “I play someone who meticulously planned and managed to overthrow Phaedra. I should be smart, lady. I don’t need to be muscular. That’s what minions are for.”. Jeffrey Pierce, who plays his right hand in “The Last of Us,” went along with his words: “This is what I’m 100% for”.

This is 100% what I’m here for. pic.twitter.com/Zx3e4qaJ5d

? Jeffrey Pierce (@pierce_jeffrey) February 8, 2023

In case there were still any doubts, the actress posted a thread detailing the importance of Kath’s unprecedented character, which is one of the reasons she was so excited to play him: “I’m so grateful to Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] for creating a truly new character. Someone I’ve never seen. And for trusting me. And for allowing me to be in the best league in the world!”. For Lynskey this is clear “Women are watched closely, and especially women in leadership positions. His voice is too loud, his voice is too soft. He pays too much attention to his appearance. He doesn’t pay enough attention to his appearance. He is too angry He doesn’t get angry enough”. In short, it is impossible to make people happy when playing such a role, and the comment of the model who criticized her appearance only proves her right. Luckily, Lynskey knows she doesn’t need anyone’s approval: “I wanted Kath to be feminine and soft-spoken, and all the things we’ve been told are ‘flimsy.’ Because honestly, fuck all of that.”.

On the other hand, when the interpreter met the character for the first time, she was thrilled because it implied a future full of hope, since “suggested the possibility of a future where people start listening to the person with the best ideas, not the coolest or strongest person”but rather a decisive profile, a person “capable of handling many things at once”as we have in fact seen in the fourth episode, since his character faces at least three different pressing situations and handles each one in a different way. “I was excited to play a woman who, in a tragic and desperate moment, threw herself into a role she never expected to play and no one ever expected her to play, and then she actually gets to do something.”He says. “I understand that some people are upset because I’m not the typical choice for this role. I love it”says Lynskey, who admits that after the moment they yell “Action” and he becomes a different person, “The most exciting thing about my job is subverting expectations”.

“That’s why we make stories like this”

The cast of “The Last of Us” are already adept at responding to the most critical sector of the audience. It was foreseeable that the third episode, ‘A long, long time’, would hit less tolerant fans, as anticipated by The New Yorker Druckmann, creator of the video game and co-creator of the series: “As incredible as that episode is, there will be fans who will be shocked. For me, the story we tell is true for the world. [de ‘The Last of Us’]. He is true to the matters we speak of”. It is clear that Druckmann knows his audience, since a user hastened to say that, as soon as the third installment began, he had to stop watching the series due to the homoromantic plot and dedicated himself to proliferating insults against Nick Offerman, who plays Bill in the chapter. Instead of ignoring it, the actor he replied: “Dude, your ignorance and hate is exactly why we create stories like this.”. This sentence by Offerman was enough for the user to eliminate his trace on Twitter.

The next episode of “The Last of Us” is coming this Friday February 10th to HBO Max, where we can see more of Melanie Lynskey in the complex and innovative character of Kathleen Coghlan.