Though the second season of HBO's The Last of Us has been filming for about a week now, we're only finding out which actors have been cast as four key supporting characters from the second game.
Danny Ramirez, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle and Spencer Lord have joined the production, and if you've played The Last of Us Part II, you'll have likely already guessed who they'll be playing.
Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) will portray Manny, "a loyal soldier whose sunny outlook belies the pain of old wounds and a fear that he will fail his friends when they need him most." Barer (How to Blow Up a Pipeline) is on board as Mel, "a young doctor whose commitment to saving lives is challenged by the realities of war and tribalism."
Gabrielle (You) has been cast as Nora, "a military medic struggling to come to terms with the sins of her past," and Lord (Heartland) will take on the role of Owen, "a gentle soul trapped in a warrior’s body, condemned to fight an enemy he refuses to hate."
These guys are Abby's (Kaitlyn Dever) friends and fellow WFL members. We won't say any more just in case some of you haven't played the game, but let's just say they are all involved in a major event that is the catalyst for the main storyline.
Young Mazino (Beef) is also on board as the heroic Jesse, with Isabela Merced (Superman) as Dina.
Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Pedro Pascal (Joel) will reprise their lead roles.
The Last of Us is set 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed and centers on the relationship between Joel, a smuggler in this new world, and Ellie, a teenager who may be key to a cure for a deadly pandemic. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle the 14-year-old girl out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey as they traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Season 1's cast also featured Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, Elaine Miles as Florence, Ashley Johnson as Anna, and Troy Baker as James.
Production on the second season is scheduled to begin next month in Vancouver, since a significant part of the story in The Last of Us Part II game is set in the Pacific Northwest.
The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam also executive produce.
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