For a long time, video games were believed to be “only for kids.” As a result, they had a certain look or feel that many would look at and think of as “childish” or something else along those lines. Of course, that wasn’t fair or accurate to many adult gamers then, but the perception would change. Nowadays, plenty of adults enjoy video games and even make money playing them or developing them. That being said, some people refuse to play video games for one reason or another. That includes the star of The Last Of Us’ latest episode, Nick Offerman.
Offerman was on the Jimmy Kimmel show, which you can see the full interview below, and was asked if he played The Last of Us before he auditioned for the role. That’s when a surprising answer came from his lips: he not only didn’t, but he hadn’t played a video game in 25 years. That’s a very specific amount of time, wouldn’t you say? The reason he remembers it so well is that he went “too deep” into a video game and regretted it afterward:
“I’m very indulgent, and I lost a couple of weeks to a video game called Banjo-Kazooie. Two weeks went by, and I was like, oh my God – the slow dopamine drip is so delicious. Then it’s over, and you’re like ‘yes, I won’, and immediately I’m like, ‘what have I done with my life?’.
We’ve all heard stories of people “diving fully” into video games and it consuming their lives, and Offerman didn’t want to be that kind of gamer long term. However, he also admitted that this “revelation” arguably saved his acting career. Because if he had played games like The Last of Us, or other meaningful titles, he would be “in his basement playing them” instead of trying to be in shows like the hit HBO series.
Offerman also said that initially, he had to refuse the role of Bill from episode 3. Not because he didn’t want to do the role, per se. But rather, he didn’t have time for it. But then, his wife came in, read the script, and demanded that he do the part. The rest, as they say, is history.
Oh, and what history it is. Episode 3 of the show was the biggest divergence from the video game so far, but it was also an episode that was so beautifully received that some are already calling for Nick Offerman to get an Emmy for his portrayal of Bill.
