The Last of Us Season 2 Cast Adds Six Names Ahead of April Premiere

HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 is gearing up for its premiere on April 13, and the casting announcements are rolling in with six new actors joining the series. Variety has provided insights into how the show will expand on the source material, introducing both familiar characters and new faces to the live-action adaptation of The Last of Us Part II.

The newly announced cast members include Joe Pantoliano (Memento, The Matrix), Alanna Ubach (Euphoria, Bombshell), Ben Ahlers (The Gilded Age, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Hettienne Park (Don't Look Up), Robert John Burke (RoboCop 3), and Noah Lamanna (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds). These actors will portray a mix of characters from the original games and fresh additions to the series.

Joe Pantoliano will take on the role of Eugene, a character previously known as Ellie and Dina’s pot-smoking friend from The Last of Us Part II. In the game, Eugene's presence was minimal, but in Season 2, his character will be fleshed out, offering more depth to his story. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann shared with Variety that Eugene's expanded background will enrich the narrative, much like Bill's story did in Season 1. Druckmann expressed enthusiasm about exploring Eugene's character, stating, "I get excited when I see these opportunities... The story we told [in the game] was somewhat superficial. The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship."

Robert John Burke will play Seth, the bar owner and bigot from The Last of Us Part II, while Noah Lamanna will portray Kat, Ellie's former girlfriend. Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, and Hettienne Park will introduce new characters to the series, playing Hanrahan, Burton, and Elise Park, respectively.

These new additions join an already impressive cast, including Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Isabela Merced as Dina, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy. The showrunners have hinted that the events of The Last of Us Part II will be spread across multiple seasons, promising more surprises as the series unfolds.

For those eager to dive deeper into what Season 2 has in store, Variety reports that the show is set to span four seasons, and Neil Druckmann has teased that some "pretty brutal" cut content from the original sequel video game will make its way into the series.