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In the fourth episode of the sci-fi adventure series The Last of Us, which aired last Sunday, Melanie Lynskey made her debut as Kathleen. The character is an original that was made exclusively for the television show adaptation.
HBO first introduced Kathleen's character as the ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City. Her inclusion further demonstrated that her presence is intended to provide context for a significant portion of 2013's The Last of Us.
All about Kathleen, Melanie Lynskey's character in The Last of Us
Kathleen, played by Melanie Lynskey, is the head of a revolutionary group. In an episode that aired on Sunday, it was revealed that Kathleen's doctor had earlier provided information about their neighbors to FEDRA soldiers in exchange for protection.
Kathleen revealed that Henry was an informant who revealed her brother to FEDRA. Kathleen is now in charge of the group and is determined to hunt Henry down. Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Tommy's character in the video game, appeared alongside Kathleen as her rifle-touting right hand, Perry.
This makes the story much more complex as we currently don't have villains like the Hunters attacking Joel and Ellie, but we have a group on their way to becoming the very fascist regime they just overthrew.
Kathleen, who is in charge of the Hunters—a group that might easily portray itself as revolutionaries—will likely be further explored in HBO's The Last of Us.
Who is Melanie Lynskey? All about the controversy over her casting
Melanie Lynskey is a New Zealand actress who made her screen debut in Heavenly Creatures in 1994. Since then, she has starred in several features on the big screen, like Ever After (1998), Detroit Rock City, Coyote Ugly (2000), Snakeskin (2001), and Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She was recently cast as Kathleen in The Last of Us, but there is a lot of controversy over it.
Former reality star Adrianne Curry criticized the casting, saying that she did not think Lynskey was a good fit for the role. She tweeted:
“Her body says life of luxury…not post apocolyptic warlord.”
Lynskey responded to this by saying:
“I am supposed to be SMART, ma’am. I don’t need to be muscly, That’s what henchmen are for.”
She further pointed out the picture that Curry was using to criticize her:
“Firstly- this is a photo from my cover shoot for InStyle magazine, not a still from HBO’s ‘The Last Of Us. And I’m playing a person who meticulously planned & executed an overthrow of FEDRA.”
The actor also praised The Last of Us series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for encouraging her to embody the character in her own way. She tweeted about it saying:
“I wanted her to be feminine, and soft-voiced, and all the things that we’ve been told are ‘weak.' I understand that some people are mad that I’m not the typical casting for this role. That’s thrilling to me. Other than the moments after action is called, when you feel like you’re actually in someone else’s body, the most exciting part of my job is subverting expectations.”
Lynskey has also starred in features like Win Win (2011), Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), They Came Together (2014), and Don't Look Up (2021). She is trending at the moment for her role in Yellowjackets, for which she won a Critics' Choice Award and was nominated for an Emmy.
Watch this space to learn more about the upcoming episode of The Last of Us.
