Annie Wersching, the original actor responsible for portraying Tess in The Last of Us, has died due to cancer. She was 45.
The news of her passing broke on Jan. 29 via a post by The Game Awards made through their official Twitter account. The post was followed by an additional thread entry pointing attention to a GoFundMe set up to assist her husband and their three sons with the costs of outstanding medical bills and her funeral.
Any remaining funds would then go to allowing the family to adjust to no longer having Annie around, while also providing savings for future expenses that might be incurred over the course of her three sons’ lives.
The fundraiser also offered further insight into Wersching’s battle with cancer. Originally diagnosed in May of 2020, she preferred to keep her illness private and sought to pursue treatment without drawing attention to herself. She likewise wanted to make sure there her three sons’ lives, her husband’s life, and her own life weren’t disrupted any more than they already were.
“She wanted to protect her boys,” the description for the GoFundMe reads. “She wanted to get better so she could continue working. And honestly, she just didn’t really want to talk about it. She wanted to live her life, on her terms, and be with her family.”
Over the past two decades, Wersching played several small and iconic roles alike in both television and video games. Her most notable ones were that of Renee Walker in 24 in its seventh and eighth seasons and Tess in the original release of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us.
Those looking to donate to the GoFundMe made for her family can do so for the foreseeable future. It is currently set with a goal of $250,000, with over $40,000 raised so far as of this article’s publication.
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