Sometimes significant others can get actors to take on roles. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Nick Offerman revealed he declined the offer for his The Last of Us role as Bill until his wife, Megan Mullally, told him he would do it.
The third episode explored the untold story of the relationship between Bill and Frank, who in the show was played by Murray Bartlett. After reading the script, Mullally told her husband that he needed to take the job. Nick Offerman initially said no to The Last of Us due to his schedule, thinking he would not be able to fit it.
“I didn’t have time on the calendar to say ‘yes’ to this job, and my incredible goddess of a wife read [the script] and she said, ‘You’re going to Calgary, buddy.”
Nick Offerman took on The Last of Us role because of his wife
Known for comedic roles, viewers got to see one of the actor’s biggest dramatic roles to date. The post-apocalyptic show gave viewers a look at this reclusive survivalist right when the outbreak began, leading to him securing his hometown into the ultimate fortress. When a survivor, Frank, comes by, he lets him in for some food. Soon, they build a relationship and we get to see how love can bloom in a zombie apocalypse.
It worked out for Nick Offerman since he listened to his wife of 20 years about taking on The Last of Us role. Episode 3 continued the trend of viewership increasing between each episode, something that is often not seen as most shows see the highs for the premiere and finale rather than the middle episodes. The third episode saw a 12 percent increase, meaning 6.4 million people tuned in for the surprising love story.
The Last of Us is an adaption of the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog. In 2020, a sequel was released, which will also be adapted since the HBO series was renewed.
You can catch new episodes every Sunday at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET.