Kaitlyn Dever Filmed Joel’s Murder Scene on ‘The Last of Us’ Just Days After Her Mother’s Funeral

Kaitlyn Dever’s debut as Abby in The Last of Us was already one of the most emotionally charged moments of the series — but behind the scenes, it was even more intense than fans realized.

Dever revealed that she began filming her first scenes for Season 2, Episode 2 — which includes the brutal murder of Pedro Pascal’s Joel — just three days after her mother’s funeral. Her mom passed away in February 2024 after a 14-year battle with metastatic breast cancer. With little time to process the loss, Dever stepped into the role of Abby while still deep in grief.

“It was a massive scene emotionally, and with blocking too,” she said, recalling the intense shoot. “To be as honest as possible, I will just say that my days leading up to this scene were horrible.”

Dever’s first day on set involved portraying Abby torturing and killing Joel, one of the series’ most pivotal and heartbreaking moments. She admitted to being in a fog during filming. “My mom’s funeral was three days before I did my first day. I was in a daze,” she said. “I wasn’t able to do my normal actor routine. Usually if I have a monologue like that, I’m memorizing it weeks in advance. This time, I just let go.”

The production team, aware of her loss, restructured the shooting schedule to give Dever flexibility. They began filming with coverage shots that didn’t require her presence, allowing her to choose when she felt ready to step in. When she did, the set was closed — no unnecessary crew, no distractions — just the essential team and cast.

Co-creator Craig Mazin emphasized that the human cost mattered more than production timelines. “While I care extraordinarily about the show, it’s a TV show,” he said. “I’m not going to disrupt someone’s grieving process for their own parent.”

In the episode, Abby captures Joel and reveals that she’s the daughter of the doctor he killed in the Season 1 finale while trying to save Ellie. What follows is a merciless scene: Joel is shot in the leg, beaten with a golf club, and ultimately killed with a spike to the neck. It’s one of the most controversial and powerful moments from the original video game — and it required Dever to channel unimaginable grief into an already brutal narrative.

Despite the emotional weight, Pascal later described his connection with Dever as immediate and meaningful. “It’s ironic that something so violent and tragic between characters can immediately bond you to the actor,” he said.

Following the episode, Pascal posted a selfie with Dever from set, a quiet reminder of the deep humanity beneath even the harshest fictional scenes.

For Dever, who had only recently endured personal tragedy, stepping into Abby’s mindset wasn’t a technical exercise — it was raw, unfiltered emotion. And perhaps because of that, her performance left a mark on The Last of Us that extended far beyond the script.