The Last Of Us Tess actress Annie Wersching has died, aged 45

Annie Wersching, the American actress arguably best known for her roles in the TV series 24 and Bosch, as well as her role in The Last of Us game, has died at the age of 45 after a battle with cancer. Her publicist has confirmed the tragic news over the weekend.

In The Last of Us, Wersching played the role of Tess - Joel’s smuggling partner. She both voiced and provided performance capture for the character.

Her husband, actor Stephen Full, has issued a statement (via Deadline). He wrote: “There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.

“As I drove our boys, the true loves of her life, down the winding driveway and street, she would yell ‘BYE!’ until we were out of earshot and into the world. I can still hear it ringing. Bye my Buddie. ‘I love you little family…’”

Co-creator of The Last of Us, Neil Druckmann, and the TV adaptation showrunner, Craig Mazin, have responded to the news, stating that the TV series’ third episode will be dedicated to Wersching.

“Even though the HBO show is a new iteration of The Last of Us, our storylines, worlds and lives have become inextricably linked. We are a blended TLoU family now, and when tragedy strikes, we all feel it,” they wrote (via Reddit). “We will be thinking about Annie tonight and always, but we know that it's her family who will miss her more than anyone.

“Annie was a brilliant actor, a wonderful mother, and a bright light of a human being. We mourn for her and the children who are grieving her loss. Tonight's episode has become particularly poignant in a way we would have never hoped or wished for, and we are dedicating it to Annie’s memory. It may be too late to get that on screen for tonight, but we will work to get it done as soon as we can. Annie Wersching, and the Tess she originated, will live on in our hearts. May she rest in peace.”

Here at GAMINGbible, our thoughts go out to Wersching’s family and friends at this difficult time - may she rest in peace.