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Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Nick Offerman at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Sunday.
cnn
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Nick Offerman has a message for the haters who took issue with his LGBTQ+ role in an emotional HBO episode. “The last of us.”
Offerman won best supporting performance in a new scripted series at Sunday’s Film Independent Spirit Awards, where I take this opportunity to address some of the bigoted criticism he says he has received about the episode.
The “Parks and Rec” alum thanked HBO for “having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent.” (HBO and CNN share the same parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.)
“Stories that when homophobic hate comes to me and says, ‘why did you have to turn it into a gay story?’, we say, ‘because you ask questions like that.’ It’s not a gay story, it’s a love story, idiot,” Offerman said during his acceptance speech as the audience cheered and applauded.
He added that he hopes to see “more of that” performance before thanking the showrunners, his family and, hilariously, “my girlfriend, my puzzle coach and legal property: Megan Mullally.”
Offerman’s one-episode arc in “The Last of Us” centers on a heartbreaking, emotionally-driven love story between his character Bill, a surly survivor of the end of the world, and the nomad he reluctantly took in named Frank, played by Murray Bartlett.
Offerman also won an Emmy for his performance in the episode.
“The Last of Us” series is based on the award-winning video game of the same name.
It chronicles the post-apocalyptic aftermath of a global pandemic that destroyed civilization, focusing on 14-year-old Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who may be humanity’s last hope for survival.
The series will return for another season with Kaitlyn Dever and “Schitt’s Creek” star Catherine O’Hara will join the cast. A release date for season 2 has yet to be announced.