PREVIEW

Nick Offerman slams 'homophobic hate' towards The Last of Us role at Independent Spirits Awards. Nick Offerman slammed the "homophobic hate" he received for his The Last of Us episode during his acceptance speech at the Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday. The actor won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for his portrayal of survivalist Bill in the post-apocalyptic drama and he addressed the "homophobic" response to his episode Long, Long Time. ”Thank you so much, Film Independent. I'm astonished to be in this category, which is bananas," he began. ”Thanks to HBO for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent. Stories with guts that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, 'Why did you have to make it a gay story?' We say, 'Because you ask questions like that. It's not a gay story, it's a love story, you a**hole.'" After receiving a huge cheer from the audience, Offerman went on to thank his co-star Murray Bartlett, The Last of Us creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, and his wife, actress Megan Mullally. Long, Long Time took a break from the main storyline to show how a couple - Bill and Frank - survived for 20 years after the outbreak of a fungal infection that turned people into zombie-like beings. Despite the negative response from homophobic trolls, the episode received almost universal acclaim. Offerman also won the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series award at the Emmys in January. Season two of The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, is currently in production. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT