Last of Us Season 2: Six New Cast Members Join Ahead of Premiere

HBO's The Last of Us Season 2, premiering this April, has expanded its cast with six notable additions. Variety revealed the new actors joining the show: Joe Pantoliano (known for Memento and 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 both established characters from The Last of Us Part II and entirely new ones. Pantoliano will play Eugene, Ellie and Dina's friend from the game, whose role will be significantly expanded in the show. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann explained to Variety that, similar to Bill's expanded role in Season 1, Eugene's backstory will be explored more deeply, providing further insight into Joel and Ellie's relationship. Druckmann stated, “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.”

Burke will portray Seth, the bar owner from Part II, while Lamanna takes on the role of Kat, a character who dated Ellie prior to the events of the game. Ubach, Ahlers, and Park will portray new characters: Hanrahan, Burton, and Elise Park, respectively.

This impressive ensemble joins the already-announced cast, including Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Isabela Merced as Dina, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy. With previous hints from the showrunners suggesting the adaptation of Part II will span multiple seasons, more surprises are likely in store.

The Last of Us Season 2, adapting the events of The Last of Us Part II, premieres April 13th. For further details, explore articles discussing the potential four-season arc and the inclusion of "pretty brutal" cut content from the game.