Craig Mazin Says Losing Catherine O'Hara Goes Beyond THE LAST OF US - "I Don't Get to See Her in Other Stuff"
Following the tragic passing of Catherine O'Hara, The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin has shared that her return in Season 3 was always their plans.
O'Hara played Gail Lynden, the sharp, layered therapist whose personal grief was tied directly to Joel’s violent past. She appeared briefly, but the impact stuck. Speaking on the Scriptnotes podcast, Mazin made it clear that Gail’s story wasn’t finished and neither was O'Hara’s place in the show.
"I don't think it's a big spoiler to say that she was gonna be in our show again, because of course she was," Mazin said. "She's so good. But she was stolen from all of us.
“The thing that's upsetting me is I don't get to see her in other stuff. Like, I don't care about my show. I wanted to see her in other things, cause what else was gonna happen?"
O'Hara’s career spanned decades and genres, leaving behind an incredible body of work that includes Beetlejuice, Home Alone, Schitt's Creek, and countless other iconic performances. Her ability to balance comedy, heartbreak, and humanity made her one of a kind, and The Last of Us tapped into that magic in a powerful way.
As the series moves forward, Season 3 is set to take a big creative swing. The focus shifts to Abby, portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever, a direction teased in the Season 2 finale. Dever recently spoke about the change and seems genuinely excited about what’s ahead.
"The fans are really going to like it, I think, the shifting perspective onto Abby, getting some more context onto her storyline and going back in time with this season. So, I'm very excited for the fans to see it," she said in January.
That shift in perspective has always been part of the DNA of The Last of Us, but it’ll also arrive with some changes behind the scenes. Neil Druckmann won’t be as hands-on this season as he has been in the past. According to Druckmann, the timing and workload made the decision unavoidable.
"It was right when we were about to start the writers' room for season 3," he explained. "I looked at what's in front of me, what would the next season might look like, and with all the various Last of Us things I'm working on – not just the show – with all the various games I'm working on, the biggest one that takes up most of my time is Intergalactic: The Heretic Profit, our next big IP for Naughty Dog and PlayStation, it felt like I could better serve all of my responsibilities if I stayed at a higher level."
Even with those changes, The Last of Us remains in good hands, and the creative team clearly understands the weight of what they’ve lost. O'Hara’s absence will be felt, not just because of what her character could’ve brought to Season 3, but because of the incredible talent and warmth she brought to everything she touched.
There’s no release date yet for The Last of Us Season 3, but when it does arrive, it’ll carry a little extra emotional weight, honoring a performer who was always meant to be part of its future.