Nick Offerman hits out at “homophobic hate” in emotional ‘The Last Of Us’ awards speech

Nick Offerman has hit out at “homophobic hate” in reaction to his The Last Of Us storyline.

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The actor won an Independent Spirit Award last night (February 25) for his performance in the HBO drama, where he played the role of Bill in the standalone episode Long, Long Time.

In the acclaimed episode, his character tries to survive in his hometown as he crosses paths with Frank (Murray Bartlett), with the episode documenting their love story over two decades.

During the Spirit Awards, Offerman won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series, and took to the stage to share his thanks.

“Thank you so much Film Independent. I’m astonished to be in this category, which is bananas. Congrats to all of you, this is crazy,” he began.

“Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent,” Offerman continued.

“Stories with guts that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that. It’s not a gay story it’s a love story, you asshole!’ So more of that.”

Offerman has won numerous awards for The Last Of Us, including an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy.

Co-showrunner Craig Mazin recently ruled out a spin-off series focused on Bill and Frank, telling Deadline: “There won’t be more Bill and Frank.”

The Last Of Us‘ first season was released a year ago, and the show is currently gearing up for its second season, with production expected to start in the spring for a 2025 release.

Stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are returning as Joel and Ellie, while a number of new cast additions were recently announced, including Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara in an undisclosed role, alongside Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby.

Speaking about casting the latter, who previously auditioned for the role of Ellie, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said: “Our casting process for season two has been identical to season one: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material.

“Nothing matters more than talent. And we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro [Pascal], Bella and the rest of our family.”

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