Catherine O'Hara spills beans on her The Last of Us debut: ‘Scary’

Catherine O'Hara got candid about her experience joining the cast of The Last of Us, the critically acclaimed series based on the video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog.

The Home Alone star debuted in the HBO series’ second season as Gail, the only therapist in the dystopian world.

Reflecting on her time on set, O’Hara praised showrunner Craig Mazin for his clarity and guidance.

"Craig was just very clear. He really knows what he's doing and what he wants to have happen," she shared

Interestingly, the idea of introducing a therapist character for Joel (Pedro Pascal) was initially considered during the first season but didn’t make it to the screen then.

The concept was later revived for season two, finally bringing O’Hara on board.

The Schitt’s Creek actress humbly described how she approached the Last Of Us role, saying, "I'm the interloper. So I just put myself in his hands, and he guided me, and just gave me gentle but clear notes all day long with a sense of humour."

In addition, her co-star Pedro Pascal also made her experience enjoyable with his both fun and intense demeanour.

"Pedro, of course, was really fun to spend the day with and then very intense by the end where he's defending his life for some reason," she recalled.

While O’Hara, 71, is no stranger to big roles, she admitted that stepping into a series as high-profile as The Last Of Us wasn’t without pressure.

"It was kind of scary because you want to do a good job," she said, "I wanted to rise to the occasion."

The season two premiere on Sunday introduced O'Hara’s character, which offered the viewers a lot of details about Gail.