Nick Offerman admits he almost TURNED DOWN role in The Last Of Us

Fans of HBO’s new video game adaptation The Last of Us are still raving about Sunday’s new episode Long Long Time, though Nick Offerman admitted he almost turned the role down.

Offerman debuted as Bill in the new episode, a doomsday prepper who forms an unlikely relationship with a stranger named Frank, played by Murray Bartlett.

The episode – which some are calling  – followed their touching relationship over several years, and revealed how it tied into the main story, following Joel () and Ellie () and their journey West.

While fans are still showering praise upon Offerman, 52, and Bartlett, 51, for their performances, Offerman appeared on Live on Wednesday, where he credited his wife Megan Mullally with taking the role. 

When asked if he had any idea fans would respond to the episode like they did, Offerman said, ‘Kind of,’ before revealing why he almost turned it down.

‘I mean, when I got the script, Craig Mazin wrote the script who did Chernobyl among other things.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.” You’ve got to do this,’ Offerman admitted.

When Kimmel asked, ‘Megan Mullally, your wife, is responsible?’ Offerman admitted, ‘She’s the curator.She chose every garment that I’m wearing tonight.’

The episode begins with Bill, who has survived the outbreak and set up a number of security measures on his property that allowed him to live a self-sufficient, solitary life.

One day he traps a man on his property named Frank, ultimately allowing him into his home before they start a romantic relationship together that spans years and years.

Years down the line, they end up communicating with Joel and his former partner Tess (Anna Torv) and allowing them into their home and their lives. 

Years later, after surviving a dangerous raid, it’s revealed that Frank is dying of cancer and decides to end his suffering by crushing the rest of his pills and putting them in his wine, after marrying Bill on his last day.

Bill then reveals that he will be taking his own life with Frank as they passed away together, before Joel and Ellie ultimately arrive on their journey West. 

Kimmel also shared a number of videos that fans shared online, overcome with emotions after watching the episode, with one proclaiming, ‘I signed up for one show about zombies,’ through tears, which brought laughs from the crowd. 

Offerman added, ‘It’s like the opposite of Midwesterns where you repress your emotions.Don’t show them to anyone. These people must be on the coasts.’

When asked about the praise he’s been getting for the episode, Offerman said, ‘It’s a tsunami of wonderful, generous plaudits.’

‘I mean, we — the episode began airing on Sunday.We had 6.4 million viewers. And HBO — it’s not TV. They are so not f***ing around that they send me on the Jimmy Kimmel show on Wednesday to cull the stragglers,’ he joked adding, ‘The 17 of you that haven’t seen it yet.’

Kimmel also mentioned that Offerman even got a big compliment from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who tweeted, ‘Episode 3 “Last of us” is unbelievable good storytelling, I am in awe of Nick Offerman’s performance, incredible.’

Offerman added, ‘It’s crazy.I got in touch with Jeff and – said thank you. And he bumped me up to something called “Super prime.” They deliver my package and give me $20.’

The Last Of Us is adapted from the beloved video game of the same name, though Offerman said he hasn’t played the game. 

‘No. I… about 25 years ago, I played my last video game and I’m very indulgent. I lost a couple of weeks to a video game called Banjo Kazooie.Two weeks went by. The slow dopamine drip is delicious. It’s over, “Yes, I’ve won!” Immediately, “What have I done with my life?”‘ Offerman joked.

Offerman also praised his co-star Murray Bartlett, who won rave reviews for his portrayal of Armond in the first season of HBO’s The White Lotus. 

‘When I got sent this script and the offer to do this part, we shot this a year and a half ago, so the timing was such that we had just finished watching The White Lotus season one.And so I said that it felt like I’d just seen The Raiders of the Lost Ark and they said, “We want you to do this show, your costar is going to be the guy with the hat and the whip.” The most charismatic performance of the year,’ Offerman said, adding, ‘I was so grateful to get to work with him.’

Part of the episode involved Offerman playing the Linda Ronstadt song Long, Long Time on the piano and singing, which exploded on Spotify, much like Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill song when it was used on Stranger Things, though Offerman had some trouble trying to sing it…due to his classical training.

‘It’s funny. I came in — I’m classically trained so I’ve got a pretty vast toolbox. So I started out more on the Buble end of my range,’ he said.

‘And the administration was like, “You know what, let’s bring it down a few notches.” And so I ended up — was like, all right, let me try and see if I can make it mediocre.They were like, “That’s the one,”‘ he joked.