Catherine O’Hara Promises to Bring ‘Weird, Good Dark Comedy’ to ‘The Last of Us’

The post-apocalyptic universe of HBO’s The Last of Us has been in desperate need of some macabre comedy. It’s time to bring Moira Rose into the fold.

Back in September, Fans of both The Last of Us and less serious but still high quality TV shows were surprised to see comedy legend Catherine O’Hara in the opening shot of the Last of Us Season Two trailer. In the teaser, the Schitt’s Creek star appears to be playing some sort of therapist or menacing confidant speaking to Pedro Pascal’s character Joel about his sordid past, and although the video didn’t betray the slightest bit of humor or playfulness in the next installment of HBO’s bleak-yet-beautiful adaptation of the popular video game series of the same name, O’Hara doesn’t have a trophy case full of comedy awards because she couldn’t break the tension during a dark moment.

In a recent talk with Entertainment Weekly, O’Hara refused to reveal specific details about her character in The Last of Us Season Two, which is slated to premiere in April, but she did promise a few dark laughs during her time on the show. Just like Stevie, she’s not too spooky for a good time. 

“I have an odd relationship with Pedro’s character,” O’Hara explained of her role on The Last of Us during her talk with EW, suggesting that HBO’s current favorite post-collapse TV universe doesn’t somehow still have professional therapists running around the survivor encampment in Jackson Hole, Wyoming who still charge $120 per session. O’Hara continued with a cagey character description, saying, “You don’t quite know why she’s got... Well, she’s got this edge to her, but it makes for some weird, good dark comedy, I think. So it’s there. I never want to deny the gift of humor.”

Given that O’Hara is God’s gift to humor, it’s comforting to know that this isn’t some kind of vanity dramatic role that so many talented comedians take when they’ve already achieved everything there is to accomplish in the humor industry. Too often, we see performers of O’Hara’s caliber decide that they need a Robin Williams-esque arc in their later career when they grow bored of making audiences across the world laugh, and they decide to exclusively book dramatic roles in search of some self-serious, awards-worthy performance. 

But, in a decimated world that’s in desperate need of some cynical chuckles after so much horror and disaster, O’Hara’s wit and timing will provide some welcome respite. The Last of Us universe can probably use her humor, too.