Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann has implemented a “bootcamp” to get the lead actor of their upcoming game ready for the kind of online hate that tends to come with big releases these days. Tati Gabrielle, who will reportedly star in a new project tentatively titled Intergalactic, is getting this specialized training as a direct response to the severe online abuse sent to cast members of The Last of Us Part 2.
The training comes after voice actress Laura Bailey, who played Abby in TLOU2, received death threats and vicious messages following the game’s 2020 release. Many fans directed their anger about story decisions at the actors themselves, even though the performers had no say in the story.
Gabrielle, known for her roles in Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and the video game Forspoken, is reportedly already catching negative attention online. As a Black and Asian actress leading a major game project, she’s been targeted by trolls before the game has even been officially announced.
The “bootcamp” probably includes social media management tips, mental health support, and coaching on how to deal with toxic comments and harassment. This hands-on approach is a sign that more people in the industry are noticing just how much online hate can mess with an actor’s well-being.
“It’s insane that this was even necessary and that they accurately predicted it would happen,” said one person familiar with the situation. “There’s zero justification for people being upset at a video game character years in advance.”
The Last of Us Part 2 wound up being a lightning rod for coordinated hate campaigns that went way beyond fair criticism. The game’s diverse cast and story choices led to review bombing, targeted harassment, and threats aimed at both the game makers and the actors who worked on it.
Gaming’s toxic side quest
This whole situation shows just how persistent online toxicity is for well-known figures in entertainment, especially in the gaming world. Now, actors signing onto controversial franchises like Star Wars, where stars such as John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran dealt with serious harassment, are often prepped for similar treatment.
Naughty Dog stepping up with this kind of training shows the studio that gaming’s toxicity problem isn’t going away anytime soon and that they’re committed to looking after their actors’ mental health—a sign that studios are starting to treat the impact of fan behavior a lot more seriously.
