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

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: 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 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, enriching the narrative surrounding Joel and Ellie's relationship. Druckmann noted his excitement at expanding on less-developed 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, 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 Part II's story will unfold across 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 detailing the potential four-season arc and the inclusion of "pretty brutal" cut content from the game.