As fans of the games know, The Last of Us Part II introduces a gaggle of new characters, and now the HBO series is beginning to find its players.
Hot on the heels of the now-infamous Abby finding her actor in Kaitlyn Dever, the show has added the talented Young Mazino and Isabela Merced. Deadline broke the news of Mazino’s casting, while Variety reported on Merced.
Young Mazino is best known for his work in the Netflix series Beef. and will star as Jesse, described by the outlet as “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.” In The Last of Us Part II game, Jesse was portrayed by Stephen Chang.
“Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him,” said Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us’ co-creators, writers, executive producers, and directors. “We’re so lucky to have him, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Young shine in our show.”
On the flip side, the series has found its Dina in Isabela Merced.
Of Mercad’s casting, Mazin & Druckmann add, “Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous, and instantly lovable. You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”
Merced is busy these days, from starring as the titular hero in Dora and the Lost City of Gold to heading to bigger IPs like Superman: Legacy, Alien: Romulus, and Madame Web.
The second season is expected to begin production in Vancouver beginning in February with an aim for a 2025 premiere.
The Last of Us story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
The Last of Us stars Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) as Joel and Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) as Ellie alongside Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Lamar Johnson, Storm Reid, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene and Elaine Miles.
