When you see a Bloater in The Last of Us video game, two words typically come to mind: “Oh shit.” That’s exactly the reaction the Bloater in HBO‘s The Last of Us has inspired, but for a very different reason. Have you seen the actor behind this massive Infected? Not only is he huge, but he is also obscenely hot and fungi-free. It’s time to get to know Adam Basil.
But first, some quick background: A Bloater is a type of Infected that appears in The Last of Us. It’s the fourth and final stage of the Cordyceps brain infection, and it produces a monster as terrifying as that phrase implies. The fungi fuse together to form a sort of armor around the monster, making this type of Infected incredibly hard to kill in the games. In the series, a Bloater appears in Episode 5, and shortly after Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) take off because they’re smart.
To create this disturbing monster, prosthetics designer Barrie Gower was brought on board, the same man responsible for creating Stranger Things’ Vecna. Gower estimated that the suit weighed around 88 pounds. It was made out of foam rubber and foam latex and covered in a slimy lubricant. But we’re not just here to appreciate Gower’s impressive work. We’re here to appreciate the man behind the monster: Adam Basil.
A 6’6” U.K. stuntman, Basil has worked on everything from Game of Thrones and Venom: Let There Be Carnage to Doctor Who and Beauty and the Beast. Basically, if you need a huge stuntman in Hollywood, Basil is your guy. Also? Underneath all those costumes, makeup, and prosthetics is an absolute smokeshow. You can follow him on Instagram and check it out for yourself.
Of course people took notice. Ever since The Last of Us adaptation was announced, fans have been excited to see a hulking bloaty boy. But when you pair a highly anticipated cameo with a hottie? That’s why Twitter exists.
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Bash me, bloat daddy.
The thirst around Basil has been giving serious Vecna vibes. It also continues a surprising trend for this show. At its core, The Last of Us is a horror drama about a mass apocalypse that questions the frightening limitations of love, violence, and revenge.
But can we say the quiet part out loud? The Last of Us is also low-key one of the sexiest shows on TV. First, we have Pedro Pascal as our leading man, which: yes. Always yes, that man is gorgeous. Then HBO followed that up with Anna Torv in her badass era with a dash of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as romantic leads for funsies. And let’s not forget Melanie Lynskey in her most domineering role to date. Now we’re learning that the Bloater is a certified hunk? Apparently the end times means that we’re going to be surrounded by hotties.
Incredible work, everyone. The apocalypse can’t get here soon enough.
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