‘The Last Of Us’ actor Melanie Lynskey hits back over casting criticism

The Last Of Us actor Melanie Lynskey has responded to criticism about her casting in the new HBO series.

The actor – who plays rebel leader Kathleen in the post-apocalyptic show based on the popular Naughty Dog video game of the same name – was responding to a claim by America’s Next Top Model season one winner Adrianne Curry that her body type wasn’t right for the role.

“Her body says life of luxury…not post apocolyptic warlord,” Curry wrote in a tweet, along with a picture of the actor from a magazine shoot.

However, Lynskey replied with a screenshot of the tweet, clarifying: “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.”

She continued: “I am supposed to be SMART, ma’am. I don’t need to be muscly. That’s what henchmen are for.”

Curry now appears to have deleted her Twitter following backlash to her comments, but has taken to Facebook to expand on her comments.

“In criticism of a character I didn’t like in the last of us..the actress screen shotted it and posted it for her fans to BULLY me over an opinion on a FICTIONAL CHARACTER. LOL, ” she wrote.

“Actors and actresses that cannot take criticism of characters they play is absurd to me. I acted in a film that people tore my character to SHREDS. I am not the character. It wasn’t a direct attack. I survived.”

She concluded that she was “keeping off Twitter till her fans stop berating me for not finding her feminine stature suitable for warlord status”.

“She even cropped out the tweet where I praised her hourglass frame as the PERFECT body in the eyes of most men. Now, I think I’ll keep my NERD movie/show criticism to myself. These people take it too personally.”

The Last Of Us stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States.

Ahead of its premiere last month, the show was hailed as a “masterpiece” in early reviews, with many critics praising it for becoming an accomplished and impressive show in its own right.

Elsewhere, an expert on fungi recently spoke out after viewers of The Last of Us wondered if a pandemic like the one depicted in the series was a possibility.

The Last of US airs every Sunday at 9pm EST (2am GMT) on HBO Max.