The Last of Us actor Nick Offerman shares his acceptance speech on social media after taking home an Emmy for his role as Bill. Based on the popular Naughty Dog video game franchise, HBO’s The Last of Us premiered in early 2023, following Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie as they traverse a post-apocalyptic United States. The show as a whole was a major hit, but episode 3, “Long, Long Time,” in particular, captured audiences with its contained love story of Bill (Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).
At the 75th annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards this past weekend, Offerman took home the award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role as part of The Last of Us’ cast. The actor delivered a powerful and moving acceptance speech, which he has now made available to read on X, formerly known as Twitter. Check out Offerman’s post below:
In the speech and in his post on X, Offerman makes clear that he shares the victory with a number of creatives involved in bringing the show to life, including co-creator Craig Mazin and co-star Bartlett, writing, “Without Frank, Bill ain’t sh-t.“
Why The Last Of Us Episode 3 Struck A Chord
As with the game, HBO’s The Last of Us’ story is built around the journey of Joel and Ellie, following the two characters as they face extreme hardships and form a powerful bond. It came as a surprise then, when episode 3 largely puts Joel and Ellie’s journey on the backburner to tell the story of Bill and Frank, two characters very sparingly featured in the video game source material.
Taking such a big narrative departure away from Joel and Ellie was certainly a risk, but one that evidently paid off. The episode features two standout performances from Offerman and Bartlett, with Bill and Frank’s unlikely love story serving as a moving example of the power of companionship when the rest of the world has fallen apart. The tale, which spans 20 years, is both heartwarming and tragic, reminding viewers that the world of the show is far bigger than just Joel and Ellie.
The Last of Us episode 3 was widely lauded as one of the show’s best and most affecting, an impressive feat considering its standalone nature. It remains to be seen whether The Last of Us season 2 will feature an episode as powerful and surprising as “Long, Long Time,” but Offerman’s win is certainly deserved.
The Last Of Us
Based on the critically acclaimed video game The Last of Us developed by Naughty Dog, the story of the TV series takes place twenty years after a parasitic fungal infection wreaks havoc across the world that turns humans into zombie-like creatures. Joel (Pedro Pascal) agrees to smuggle a 14-year-old girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a quarantine zone, only to discover she may be the key to discovering a cure. The Last of Us TV series is a collaborative effort between one of the original creators, Neil Druckmann, and the creator of the award-winning HBO series Chernobyl.
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Cast
- Pedro Pascal , Bella Ramsey , Gabriel Luna , Anna Torv , Merle Dandridge , Nick Offerman , Jeffrey Pierce
- Genres
- Drama , Horror , Adventure
- Seasons
- 1
- Story By
- Neil Druckmann, Bruce Straley
- Writers
- Neil Druckmann , Craig Mazin
- Network
- HBO Max
- Streaming Service(s)
- HBO Max
- Franchise(s)
- The Last of Us
- Directors
- Craig Mazin
- Showrunner
- Craig Mazin
