HBO's The Last of Us Season 2, premiering this April, has expanded its impressive cast with six new additions. Variety revealed the exciting lineup, including 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 both established characters from The Last of Us Part II and entirely new additions to the show's narrative. Pantoliano will play Eugene, Ellie and Dina's friend, whose role will be significantly expanded from the game. 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, enriching the story of Joel and Ellie's relationship. Druckmann noted his excitement at expanding upon characters, stating, “I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t know Eugene that well!’ 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 bigoted bar owner from Part II, while Lamanna will play Kat, a character who dated Ellie before the events of the game. Ubach, Ahlers, and Park will portray new characters: Hanrahan, Burton, and Elise Park, respectively.
This stellar ensemble joins the already announced cast, featuring 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 Part II's adaptation will span multiple seasons, more surprises are undoubtedly in store.
The Last of Us Season 2, adapting the events of The Last of Us Part II, premieres April 13th. For further insights, explore articles discussing the potential for a four-season arc and the inclusion of "pretty brutal" cut content from the original game.
