Nick Offerman almost turned down starring in 'The Last of Us'. Then his wife read the script

'The Last of Us': Still from a scene from episode three (Image credit: @TheLastofUsHBO/Twitter)

The third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us is being hailed as one of the more beautiful episodes of television viewers have seen this year. The series which draws its source material from a video game features conspiracy theory survivalist Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), an interloper.

Bill hides in his bunker while the government takes away the rest of his town and he builds himself a fortress stocked with guns, barrels of sulfuric acid, and enough wine to last him for years. But, Frank gets trapped in one of the booby traps laid for zombies, and Bill reluctantly offers him a shower and food. The moment marked the beginning of a love story that finds a beautifully devastating end when Bill and Frank, after getting to spend decades in each other's company, take their own lives.

Partners in everything.

A new episode of #TheLastOfUs is streaming now on @HBOMax. pic.twitter.com/wGb57D34jD — The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) January 30, 2023

Speaking to GQ about playing the role of Bill, Offerman said that he was prepared to refuse it owing to schedule woes. And then he read the script. "I said, god damn you, Craig Mazin," Offerman told the publication. He then asked his wife Megan Mullally to read it and she urged him to take up the role.

this scene is so much more meaningful because gay marriage wasn’t legal back then im actually devastated #TheLastOfUspic.twitter.com/Yn9wDhjlia — Paul Mescal oscar campaign manager (@wandapilled) January 30, 2023

"Megan wants to go on record as taking full credit for me doing this because in our household it was an impossibility and she said with the clarity of purpose of the Greek goddess Hera, 'You have to do this'," Offerman recalled.