Abby, The Last of Us Part 2's second protagonist, makes a strong impression on players with some controversial actions in the game's opening hours. When controlling such a memorable character, many The Last of Us 2 players may be wondering: Who plays Abby, including her face model, her body double, and voice actor?
Despite playing a big role in The Last of Us 2's story, Abby wasn't featured in much of the game's pre-release marketing. Her only appearance was in The Last of Us 2's infamously brutal trailer at Paris Games Week 2017, criticized for its use of violence to advertise the game. The teaser showed Abby, then an unnamed character, surviving a hanging and near-disembowelment in a dark forest, with the aid of two children, one of which had her arm smashed by a man with a hammer.
The trailer's focus on Abby with little context - and no appearances from series protagonists Joel or Ellie - was a hint that she'd play a major role in the game. It turns out she's one of The Last of Us 2's playable characters, so players see much of the game's story through her perspective. Here are the people behind Abby's appearance and voice.
The Last Of Us Part 2: Abby's Voice Actor, Body Double, & Face Model
Abby (full name Abigail Anderson) is portrayed by prominent voice actor Laura Bailey. Bailey is known for her work as Vex on Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role and as Nadine Ross in Naughty Dog's own Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, among many other video game and television credits. Bailey also provided the performance work for Abby, including facial and motion capture in Naughty Dog's studio. Abby's face itself came from a different person at Naughty Dog: Jocelyn Mettler, a Support Visual Effects Artist on Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, served as Abby's face model while she was at the company (though she now works for VFX studio Beyond-FX).
Following Abby's first appearance in the 2017 teaser trailer, The Last of Us 2 Director Neil Druckmann reportedly posted the following image on Instagram (via ResetEra user Strafer), citing CrossFit athlete Colleen Fotsch as Abby's body double.
While Abby's muscular build definitely appears to be based on a professional athlete like Fotsch, Druckmann has since removed the post from Instagram, so Fotsch's role in The Last Of Us 2's production may not be officially confirmed.
The Last Of Us Part 2 released for PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2020.
Image Source: Neil Druckmann (via Strafer/ResetEra), Beyond-FX