The Last of Us episode 5 included our first glimpse of the game’s infamous Bloater. Now the actor who played this role has claimed the character has become a ‘sex icon’.
Our first look at a live-action Bloater was horrifying to say the least. This late-stage infected takes on the form of a hulking, bloated (the name wasn’t kidding) figure capable of tearing humans apart.
Love messages
For Adam Basil, the stunt performer and actor who donned this costume to take on the role, fan’s responses have been interesting to say the least. Basil recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly, saying “He’s captured a lot of people’s imaginations. Someone asked me if I’d come to their wedding. I’ve had people sending me love messages.”
He goes on to describe the Bloater as a “big daddy mushroom” (which may have made us gag slightly). More importantly, he spoke about the process of becoming this 6ft+ form.
The costume was designed by prosthetics designer Barrie Gower and his team. It consisted of a full body mould, multiple sets of prosthetics and all held together with poppers and metal hooks. The team estimated the costume weighed a whopping 40-80lbs.
However, this allowed Basil to get into character. “[The infected] are driven by this impulse. The main thing for me was to just keep the heaviness of the character. Although the good thing about it, [the suit] was heavy.”
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The Last of Us Future Plans
For those who played The Last of Us Part 2, we know there will be a stage even deadlier than the Bloater. However, we are hopeful this figure does not also become a sex icon. Until then, Basil hopes his Bloater will be making a reappearance in the future.
Until then, episode 7 of the show is set to air next Sunday. This flashback episode will tell the story of the events of the game’s DLC, Left Behind. Meanwhile, this week’s episode also saw a surprise cameo of a character we know from The Last of Us Part 2!
What did you think of the infamous Bloater? Do you think they’re a sex icon? Let us know across our social media platforms.