The Last of Us star Melanie Lynskey confronts body-shaming post

Don’t mess with Kathleen: Melanie Lynskey confronted a fan of The Last of Us who claimed her body wasn’t appropriate for her character.

Lynskey, perhaps best known for her roles in Two and a Half Men and Yellowjackets, stars as Kathleen in HBO’s video game adaptation.

She’s the leader of the Kansas City resistance, ordering violence on anyone who stands in her way. The star made her debut in the show in Episode 4, shooting doctors and on the prowl for Henry and Sam.

Taking issue with her performance is one thing – but criticizing her figure is another, and Lynskey has taken one supposed fan to task on their opinion.

The Last of Us star Melanie Lynskey hits back at model

In a tweet, America’s Next Top Model winner Adrianne Curry shared a photoshoot of Lynskey and wrote: “Her body says life of luxury, not post-apocalyptic warlord. Where is Linda Hamilton when you need her?”

Hamilton is famous for playing Sarah Connor, the heroine of the Terminator franchise. However, both characters are worlds apart, and that’s not even the main point: her figure doesn’t matter.

Lynskey shared a screenshot of the post and wrote: “Firstly – this is a photo from my cover shoot for InStyle magazine, not a still from HBO’s The Last Of Us.

“And I’m playing a person who meticulously planned & executed an overthrow of FEDRA. I am supposed to be SMART, ma’am. I don’t need to be muscly. That’s what henchmen are for.”

Curry has since deleted her tweet, but elsewhere doubled down in response to the backlash. “Yes, I apologize to the warlord fictional character who I found unbelievable with her short frame and curvaceous body… I won’t apologize for not being sold on a character,” she wrote in one reply.

In her first tweet with the photo, Curry said Lynskey had “the perfect hourglass desirable by men” but claimed “it doesn’t fit her role.”

“I’m a Nerd who loves Nerd things and I usually comment on them. I also hated the hobbit movies. I thought Martin was a terrible bilbo. Where is the outrage,” Curry added.

It’s unclear why she capitalized Nerd.

The Last of Us Episode 5 will be available to stream on HBO Max on Friday, February 10. If you’re in the UK, you can watch it on Saturday, February 11. Find out more here.