Warning: Contains spoilers for the video game The Last of Us.
The actor’s role as Bill in HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation is part of a larger discussion that raises the question as to whether Nick Offerman is gay. An actor’s sexuality can often be considered part of their personal life and doesn’t need to be discussed. However, when it comes to portraying members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially an important thematic figure such as The Last of Us’ Bill, there’s a matter of genuine representation that comes up.
In The Last of Us video game, there are several characters who are heavily implied to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. It was not until the DLC Left Behind that any of those figures was explicitly confirmed and Bill was not one of those. However, the clues to Bill’s sexuality in The Last of Us are so apparent that it would almost require an intentional misreading to think that Frank was just Bill’s “partner” in survival and trapping up the town.
Nick Offerman Is Not Gay, But He Believes Strongly In Representation
While The Last of Us’ Bill is gay, Nick Offerman himself is not, and is married to Megan Mullally. However, he has been a vocal advocate for the queer community over the years, recognizing the privilege his identity gives him and using it to help those who aren’t given the same chances. When speaking to Logo while promoting his role in Hearts Beat Loud, Nick Offerman noted that:
“theater, film, and television are the storytelling mediums that often represent the underrepresented. So, in my lifetime that’s been gender issues, queer issues, and race issues—and that’s where my heart has gone. When I read scripts, if there’s any kind of humor that’s misogynistic or homophobic or racist, that is just a red flag.”
While Nick Offerman does not share being gay with the character of Bill, as progress has been made in society and queer characters are less likely to be offensive caricatures than it once was and the LGBTQ+ community is much more likely to get to represent itself today. It might have been nice to see a member of the LGBTQ+ community cast in the role of Bill, but there are two important additional considerations. Bill’s partner in The Last of Us TV show, Frank, is played by Murray Bartlett, a gay man. Additionally, Nick Offerman stepped in to fill the role of Bill in HBO’s The Last of Us after Con O’Neill had to leave the project due to scheduling issues (who can now be seen in Our Flag Means Death).
Why Bill's Story Is Important In The Last Of Us
In the scope of The Last of Us universe, Bill’s role is relatively small. In the video game, the player passes through his town before moving on down the road and the character is not seen again. However, Bill is one of many LGBTQ+ characters in The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Part II, with those themes becoming more important as the story progresses (which can now be expected to be explored in The Last of Us season 2). Bill’s presence in the narrative sets up an understanding about the world as it is after the infected and opens a door for Ellie to be open about her sexuality later on.
While Bill was already an important LGBTQ+ figure for The Last of Us video game, Nick Offerman’s portrayal of the character has the chance to be even more meaningful. In the game, Bill’s partner Frank is never seen alive and only his remains are seen in a move that walks dangerously close to “burying your gays.” With HBO’s The Last of Us having Murray Bartlett playing a version of Frank that is very much alive, it allows for better onscreen representation of Bill’s character, and Nick Offerman clearly respects that responsibility, regardless of his own sexual orientation.
New Episode of The Last of Us release Sundays on HBO