Sorry, this video isn't available any more.
Nick Offerman has confessed that he very nearly didn’t accept his gig on the wildly popular The Last of Us.
The Parks and Recreation actor, 52, portrays Bill in the post-apocalyptic drama, which also stars Narcos performer Pedro Pascal, 47, and Bella Ramsey, 19.
The HBO series, which has already been commissioned for a second season, follows a man named Joel (Pedro) who’s tasked with smuggling a young girl called Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the US.
Ellie is immune to a virus that has ravaged the world, turning humans into zombies, and therefore could be the secret to discovering a much-needed cure.
Created by Craig Mazin, The Last of Us has been a runaway hit, with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and 9.3/10 on IMdB, while the Metro’s Josh Stephenson awarded it a four out of five.
It’s a good job, then, that the Pam & Tommy actor was convinced by his wife, Megan Mullally, to take on the role, as he explained on Wednesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
He explained: ‘When I got the script… Craig Mazin wrote the script, who did Chernobyl among other things – and that guy seems to know what he’s doing.
‘He sent me the script and I didn’t have time on the calendar to say yes to this job. And my incredible goddess of a wife read it and she said, “You’re going to Calgary, buddy.”‘
When Jimmy asked if Will & Grace actor Megan, 64, was ‘responsible’ for the decision, Nick agreed and joked: ‘She’s the curator. She chose every garment that I’m wearing tonight.’
In the series, Nick’s character Bill meets a man called Frank (Murray Bartlett) who’s striving to survive in the wilderness, with the pair eventually falling in love and living a full and loving life together into old age.
There have been frequent debates over straight actors playing gay roles, including from the likes of Russell T Davies, such as Nick, but some fans said he was the ‘exception.’
While speaking previously to Metro.co.uk and other media about his part in The Last of Us, Nick said that in popular culture, he hadn’t often seen couples like Bill and Frank ‘represented’.
More Trending
‘It really goes a long way toward espousing the permission to all of us that if there’s another human being you should be allowed to love one another, regardless of how you fit in conventional couple templates,’ he said.
Deals of the Day
Save £300 on the 'Ferrari of lawn mowers' that gardeners are calling 'unbelievable'
Sunglasses season has arrived – the key factors to look for and the best styles to shop
Transform your garden with Dunelm’s ‘stunning’ £15 solar-powered string lights
H&M launches new Move running collection ahead of the London marathon on April 27
£4.50 Boots Berry Lip Mask which shoppers liken to Laneige is back in stock
The Last of Us is available to stream on Now in the UK and HBO Max in the US.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
