The Stunning Transformation Of Kaitlyn Dever

To fans of "The Last of Us," Kaitlyn Dever is a breakout star who dominated the small screen in the role of Abby. While Dever's performance in Season 2 of the hit HBO series was indeed impressive, it was only the most recent in her long and impressive career.

Dever was born in Phoenix and raised in Dallas before her family relocated to Los Angeles so she could pursue her acting career. She landed her first role in 2009 and has been steadily working ever since, taking on everything from sitcoms to feel-good films to miniseries that dealt with very serious subject matter.

Throughout her life and career so far, Dever has experienced thrilling highs and devastating lows, but she always turns out superior performances. With an Emmy nomination already under her belt, it's clear Kaitlyn Dever is an actor whose star will continue to rise. Read on to learn more about the stunning transformation of Kaitlyn Dever.

Kaitlyn Dever was born on December 21, 1996, in Phoenix. Her parents, Tim and Kathy Dever were professional figure skaters turned skating coaches, so naturally the actor spent a lot of time in skating rinks as a child. "Basically, born on the ice," was how Dever explained it on an episode of "The Late Late Show With James Corden." "I think as soon as I could walk I was in skates," she said.

Dever's parents were clearly very a big influence on her, as she became very adept at figure skating, perfecting a difficult move called a waltz jump when she was around 7 or 8. "I got pretty good," Dever shared. "And I would compete too, I was competing."

Eventually, Dever hung up her skates to pursue acting instead, which was another career path perhaps inspired by her family. Dever's father, who enjoyed doing voices and impressions, sent out an audition tape and landed a very interesting gig. "My dad ended up getting the job for the voice of Barney," Dever revealed during an appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."

Kaitlyn Dever caught the acting bug when she was very young, but she wasn't exactly sure how the process of becoming an actor worked. "I thought you could just be on TV like Hilary Duff and 'Lizzie McGuire' — like an easy thing that you just go sign up for or something," she told Coveteur.

It wasn't until Dever was 9 years old that she quit her other extracurricular activities to focus solely on her dream. The Dever family had moved to Dallas by then and it was there that Dever began taking acting classes. She worked on her craft for about six months and then caught the eye of an industry professional. "[A]n agent came to our school and watched me do a Skittles monologue," Dever explained. "She wanted to sign me and have me come out to LA for three months to audition."

It was obviously the big break she'd been waiting for, but the performance that got her noticed was not particularly memorable for Dever. "Maybe I was naming all the colors of the Skittles," she recalled. "Oh — I had to say 'Skittles, taste the rainbow' at the end. Their little tagline."

Although it was a big leap of faith, Kaitlyn Dever's parents were so supportive of her acting aspirations that they agreed to take her to Los Angeles for a month to see how she'd do on auditions. While they might have been expecting to teach her a lesson about how difficult the entertainment business was, Dever impressed everyone by landing the first job she auditioned for.

Dever's first acting job was 2009's "An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong," in which she appeared alongside "Yellowjackets" star Samantha Hanratty. From there Dever landed roles in episodes of "Make It or Break It," "Modern Family," "Private Practice," and "Party Down" before appearing in the hit series "Justified" as Loretta McCready.

On "Justified," Dever worked with actor Timothy Olyphant, which proved an influential experience. "I was technically little, I was 12 actually when I started 'Justified' — and it was the first time I had gotten to witness an actor lead the charge, sort of like set the tone," Dever shared during an interview with author Laura Albert. "[I]t was really cool to get to see that level of involvement from an actor," she added, explaining that she'd kept Olyphant's example in mind when she was a lead actor in the film "Booksmart."

Kaitlyn Dever's career continued to thrive, with appearances in films such as "J. Edgar" and "Bad Teacher," as well as series like "The Mentalist" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." In 2011, Dever's big break came in the form of a sitcom, playing Eve Baxter on "Last Man Standing," a hit show starring sitcom veteran Tim Allen.

"Last Man Standing" aired from 2011 until 2021, so audiences got to see Dever grow up before their eyes. And because filming the series coincided with Dever's teen years, she attended school on set. "It's really kind of easy because I do school on set with my studio teacher, and I do all of this homework, and then I turn in the homework into — it's sort of a homeschool," the actor explained to She Said Media Said.

The series was also a great fit for Dever because she got to show off her comedy chops. And according to the actor, her sense of humor was very similar to the character she played. "I think I relate to her in the way that she has such a dry sense of humor, and I have a very dry sense of humor in real life too," she shared.

By 2019, Kaitlyn Dever had certainly perfected her comedic timing when she starred in the film "Booksmart" alongside Beanie Feldstein. The movie follows Amy and Molly, Dever and Feldstein respectively, as best friends who are determined to make up for lost partying time on the eve of their high school graduation. "Booksmart," which was directed by Olivia Wilde, won multiple awards and elevated Dever to a new level of fame. And the cherry on top was that Dever and Feldstein became super close in real life too.

According to Dever, the on-screen BFF chemistry between her and Feldstein was real. "Oh, it was instant," the actor told Fandango. "I fell in love with Beanie the second I laid eyes on her." The two women got along so well that they actually lived together while filming took place. And it sounds like it was a constant slumber party from how Dever described it: "[I]t was the greatest time filled with snacks and pancakes and sleeping until 2 p.m." Dever and Feldstein even had nicknames for each other. "We call each other Pup," the actor revealed.

Proving that she has incredible acting range, Dever starred in the Netflix miniseries "Unbelievable" as Marie Adler, a teenager who is accused of lying about having been the victim of a violent sexual assault. The role garnered Dever nominations for both a Golden Globe and a Critics Choice Award, but more important were the lessons Dever learned from playing Marie.

Dever shared with IndieWire that she's taken something away from each acting experience she's had, but what she learned from "Unbelievable" was very valuable. "I think what I took away from ['Unbelievable'] is ... more knowledge on sexual assault and trauma and how trauma can really affect a person," Dever said.

Working on "Unbelievable" also inspired Dever to take action, and she and the cast worked with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to get the Debbie Smith Act passed by lawmakers. The bill helped provide federal funding used to process rape kits. Dever called going to D.C. to advocate for the bill "a crazy, once-in-a-lifetime experience, like bucket list material."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Kaitlyn Dever began her life as an aspiring figure skater, went on to become a successful actor, and also found time to nurture her musical talent as well. Dever and her sister Mady formed the band Beulahbelle and in February 2020, they debuted their first single "Raleigh." The song was accompanied by a music video they directed, produced, and starred in together.

Long before the Dever sisters made their debut as Beulahbelle, they were singing together in elementary school talent shows, performing first under the name Hot Pink and then as Anime Pearl. Songs by the Dever girls even appeared in the 2018 film "Tully" starring Charlize Theron. As children, the Devers were inspired by their parents' taste in music, which included Alanis Morissette and The Cure, and the latter became Kaitlyn Dever's favorite band. "I still keep some songs un-listened to on purpose because I want to make it seem like they're still releasing music," she shared with Bustle in 2020. (The Cure released "Songs of a Lost World" in 2024, their first studio album in 16 years.)

The experience of creating the "Raleigh" music video proved inspirational for the actor, and she alluded to wanting to direct other projects in the future. "It lit up so much in me that I'm now interested in the idea and the prospect of developing something early on with a writer that I really love," she shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

In 2021, Kaitlyn Dever starred in the Hulu miniseries "Dopesick" as Betsy, a coal miner who becomes addicted to painkillers after sustaining a back injury at work. Dever knew right from the start it was a role she wanted to play, even though the audition process was difficult because it took place at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. "[I]t was just immediately something that I knew I wanted to be a part of," Dever shared with Vanity Fair. "I fell in love with Betsy as a character. I thought her role was just so deep and honest."

Dever's love and respect for Betsy shined through in her performance which resonated deeply with audiences and critics alike, and the role earned her an Emmy nomination. "It feels incredible," Dever told The Hollywood Reporter on the Emmy red carpet. "I love the cast so much and to be able to celebrate with them in such a big way feels really good."

Despite receiving accolades for her work, Dever stayed grounded and became even more compassionate toward the story of the character she portrayed. "When I take on a role like Betsy, I just feel like I have to give everything I have to these characters because the story means so much more than me," she shared with Vanity Fair.

In February 2024, Kaitlyn Dever suffered a heartbreaking loss when her mother died of breast cancer. The actor shared her feelings in a beautiful Instagram post featuring photos of her mom throughout the years. She began her caption, "My mama. My life. My everything. I don't even have the words. Nothing I'll ever say will amount to the gifts you have given me in my life."

In 2020, Dever shared in a different post that her mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer 10 years prior at the age of 39. "Some days are so so scary that I don't even know how to feel anymore, and other days she has a positive appointment and then it's a gooood day," Dever wrote. It was clear how much her mother meant to her and devastating when she passed away. "I don't even know how to describe it, because it was the worst time in my life," the actor told GQ.

Mere days after her mother's funeral, Dever had to begin filming her role in "The Last of Us." She channeled her pain into her performance, making her character, Abby, all the more intense.

2024 was a tough time for Kaitlyn Dever because she lost her beloved mom, but things got better for her toward the end of the year when she began dating her boyfriend, actor Ethan Dawes. The pair were first spotted together in December 2024 holding hands leaving the Chateau Marmont, and during the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March 2025, Dever and Dawes were openly affectionate with one another.

As Dever's star continues to rise, it makes sense that she might want to keep her personal life private, and as of June 2025, she has yet to openly discuss her relationship. While Dever has been pretty hush-hush about her romance with Dawes, it appears the two have a lot in common. Dawes, a California native, attended Emerson College in Boston where he played music in a band called Super Mash Bros. He is also a writer, director, and actor who appeared in the MTV series "Sweet/Vicious."

In April 2025, Kaitlyn Dever made her long-awaited appearance as Abby, a girl seeking revenge for the murder of her father, in HBO's "The Last of Us." While Dever shined in her role as the villain of the show's second season, she was originally going to play a different part altogether. Initially, "The Last of Us," based on the wildly popular video game of the same name, was going to be adapted into a film, and the game's co-creator, Neil Druckmann, wanted Dever to play Ellie, Abby's nemesis.

The plans for the movie took place back in 2014 before the video game's sequel was even complete. Dever revealed that Druckmann told her how the story would go, recalling to Entertainment Weekly, "Talk about spoiler alerts. ... He did ask me, 'Do you want to know what happens?' I was like, 'Yeah, tell me!' So, I've been keeping that secret for years."

The film was eventually scrapped in favor of the TV series, and the part of Ellie was played by Bella Ramsey, but the creators were eager to offer Dever the role of Abby. For Dever, who had since played the game with her dad, it felt like a full-circle moment that was meant to be. "I always thought about 'The Last of Us' ... I would say it was pretty surreal when it came back around in my life in a different way."