
Warning: spoilers ahead for The Last of Us episode 3.
Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett have spoken publicly on the portrayal and symbolism of the relationship between their characters Bill and Frank in The Last of Us.
Bill (Nick) and Frank (Murray) are introduced in Episode 3 of the post-apocalyptic TV series based on the video game franchise of the same name. They are a couple who have become friends with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Tess (Anna Torv) through radio communication.
Bill, a survivalist, found Frank in a trap he’d dug in the earth when a fungus epidemic swept the globe, and their narrative spans decades, from that moment until they both died, clasped in one other’s arms as elderly men.
While discussing the “obligation” of taking on the story, Murray, 51, emphasised the “wonderful connection” that they had as humans.
“When you read tales or screenplays, you have to think about a lot of different factors, such as the necessity and duty of accurately portraying different groups of people.” Quote from “White Lotus” actor.

‘I think one of the best things to do while honouring that, is sort of put that out of your head – and fortunately in this case, we had this wonderful script about a love story between these two people.
‘You just focus on that, regardless of all that stuff, because I think that that’s what makes representation and inclusivity and diversity – it’s just connection between people. That was just in the script. There’s this beautiful connection between these two people. I hope it has a sort of a universal kind of resonance that is memorable.’
Nick, 52, jumped in to remark that he “liked” that there weren’t many other instances of couples like Bill and Frank in the game The Last of Us.
‘I haven’t seen a lot of television but in popular culture, I haven’t really seen this couple represented,’ the Parks and Recreation star said.

‘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.
‘I love that, I love the narrative possibility that these two guys run into each other and you’re like, “Oh, that’s such a wonderful surprise. I did not see this turning into ‘let’s fall in love.’”’
Nick said he was “driven to work in theatre, and subsequently cinema and TV” because of his upbringing “in a little conservative town in the Midwest” of the United States.
‘In my town, I don’t think… they wouldn’t allow the story to be told if they could vote,’ he stated.

‘And the Bills and Franks are like, “But we live in this town, county, state, country, world.” I’m just very grateful that we’re not just part of the same old storytelling, but trying to tread new ground.’
Murray elaborated, calling the unexpectedness with which Bill and Frank meet and form their unshakable friendship “one of the great things” he liked in the script.
‘These characters feel so far away from any kind of stereotypes, which is always a good thing. I think that it’s just these two people, possibly unlikely people, that find this connection in a way that speaks to how you can find connection in unlikely ways,’ he shared.
‘That connection comes in all sorts of different forms and all different sorts of different ways between all sorts of different people. It felt really beautifully representative of that.’
The Last of Us is available to watch on Sky and NOW, with new episodes released on Mondays.