The Last of Us series has found its Bill: Parks & Recreation actor Nick Offerman.
As per Variety (opens in new tab), Offerman is replacing Con O’Neill, who previously had the role. O’Neill departed the project after a “scheduling conflict.”
Some may have seen the recasting coming, all thanks to a prior interview with Frank actor Murray Bartlett.
Bartlett, who is set to play Bill’s partner Frank in The Last of Us series, told The Guardian (opens in new tab) that “A lot of my scenes are with Nick Offerman. Playing off him was awesome.”
On The Last of Us series, Bartlett had nothing but praise for show co-creator Craig Mazin. “The scripts he’s written blew my head off. It’s an epic show, but beautifully human and intimate,” Bartlett said.
Offerman may be best known as Ron Swanson, the surly director of Pawnee’s Parks & Recreation department, but he’s also struck out in more dramatic roles, including on Fargo and Deadwood.
The Last of Us series is currently filming in Canada, and a handful of leaked set videos and photos have given us a sneak peek of what to expect. There’s Joel, Ellie, and Tommy in Jackson in one video, while a previous fungus-filled image marks the beginning of Joel and Ellie’s journey out west.
No word yet on a release date, though Tommy actor Gabriel Luna says it’ll be “sooner than later” and one director had a ‘2022’ release window on their Instagram page. Here’s hoping.
For a look ahead on what’s coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X next year, here’s our rundown of 2022’s video game release dates.