News broke Sunday that actress Annie Wersching had passed away after a battle with cancer, via CNN. Wersching was a beloved actress known for various on-screen and voiceover roles for series such as Fox’s 24, Marvel’s Runaways, and voicing the character of Tess in PlayStation’s The Last of Us. Wersching was 45 years old.
According to CNN, Wersching first appeared on television in 2007 with the role of Amelia Joffe on ABC’s long-running soap, General Hospital. Her career then ascended as she landed a coveted role as FBI agent Renee Walker on Fox’s action thriller, 24, in seasons seven and eight. She would continue to work throughout the latter 2000s on shows such as The CW’s Vampire Diaries, Amazon Prime’s Bosch, and Hulu’s comic series Marvel’s Runaways.
Wersching also grew a large fanbase as she voiced the character Tess in Naughty Dog’s best-selling video game, The Last Of Us, which is now an original series for HBO. According to CNN, one of Wersching’s last roles was playing the villainous Borg Queen in season two of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+ last year.
Wersching’s husband, actor Stephen Full (Finish Line, Resilience) released a statement to CNN.
“There is a cavernous hole in the soul of this family today. But she left us the tools to fill it. She found wonder in the simplest moment. She didn’t require music to dance. She taught us not to wait for adventure to find you. ‘Go find it. It’s everywhere.’ And find it we shall.” In addition to his statement, Wershing’s colleagues and friends posted tributes to her across social media.
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann (Uncharted) tweeted: “We just lost a beautiful artist and human being” in a tribute to the actress.
Keifer Sutherland (Rabbit Hole, Designated Survivor) who starred alongside Wersching on 24 stated: “Annie Wersching was one of the greatest actors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, and my friend. My heart breaks for her young family. May she be remembered for the beautiful person that she was.” via Deadline.
The Last of Us star Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant, Greenleaf) who reprised her role as Marlene for the show tweeted: ” Good night, Dear @Wersching. You Are loved.” along with photos from their time recording for the video game. The tweet also had a link to an official GoFundMe account set up to support her husband and two young sons.
Naughty Dog Central’s Twitter account announced Sunday night’s episode of The Last Of Us will be dedicated to Wersching as her name will be added to the credits later this week.