Full spoilers follow for The Last of Us season 1. Light spoilers also follow for season 2.
The Last of Us season 2 is almost here. HBO’s incredibly popular TV adaptation of Naughty Dog’s hit video game franchise returns to our screens on April 13 (US) and April 14 (UK and Australia). There’s no time like the present, then, to find out who’s part of its ensemble cast.
Below, I’ve listed every actor who’ll appear in The Last of Us TV show’s second chapter, where you might have seen them before, and which character they’re playing. Once you’re reached the end of this guide, you’ll be an expert on the hit series’ character roster.
So, without further ado, here’s all you need to know about who’ll appear in The Last of Us‘ (TLoU) sophomore season.
Pedro Pascal as Joel
The internet’s favorite zaddy (don’t ask…), Pascal reprises his role as one of TLoU‘s primary characters in season 2.
In the critically-acclaimed Max show’s latest chapter, Joel has become an integral part of the Jackson, Wyoming community. However, his surrogate relationship with Ellie has become strained in the five years (in-universe, anyway) since we last saw them – and it’s got nothing to do with what he did in the season 1 finale. Expect that to come to the fore at some point this season.
As an actor, Pascal needs no introduction. Following his break-out roles in Netflix’s Narcos TV series and HBO’s Game of Thrones adaptation, he’s gone on to appear in other projects including The Mandalorian, Gladiator II, and Wonder Woman 1984. He’s also set to play Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which arrives in theaters on July 25.
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
The other main character in TLoU is Ellie, who will be portrayed by Ramsey once more.
Season 2 will reunite us with an Ellie whose in her late teens. She’s as headstrong as ever but, having made friends of her own age in Jackson, she’s not only spending less and less time with Joel, but seemingly punishing him for reasons yet to be revealed. TLoU season 2’s latest trailer confirmed there’ll be a huge showdown between the pair, so you better prepare yourself for an incredibly heart-wrenching scene at some point this season.
Like Pascal, Ramsey is a Game of Thrones alumnus – in fact, it’s the show that marked her major acting debut. Since then, she’s featured in Chicken Run 2, His Dark Materials, Catherine Called Birdy, and Becoming Elizabeth among other film and TV productions.
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby
The deuteragonist of Naughty Dog’s divisive game The Last of Us Part II, HBO’s live-action retelling will finally introduce us to Abby.
She’ll be played by No One Will Save You‘s Kaitlyn Dever and, after the release of one of season 2’s most recent teaser, some TLoU fans are already concerned for Dever’s welfare. The reason? Abby is a highly controversial figure among sections of the fanbase. Let’s hope Dever has the support structure around her to cope with any toxicity that comes her way.
For the uninitiated: Abby is a member of the militia group known as The Fireflies. She’s also the daughter of one of the faction’s members who was murdered by Joel in the season 1 finale. Its follow-up, then, will see Abby embark on a mission of revenge, with Joel firmly planted in her crosshairs.
Dever was recently seen starring in Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar TV series. She’s also appeared in Last Man Standing, Justified, Rosaline, Good Grief, and Booksmart among other productions.
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
Another returning face, Luna’s Tommy – aka Joel’s brother – has taken on a more central role in Jackson since season 1 ended. Indeed, he now sits on its council. When he’s not sorting out issues within the community, he’s either helping to bring up his son and, as she continues to shun Joel, become another surrogate father to Ellie.
Best known for playing Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD TV show before playing Tommy in one of the best Max shows, Luna has also appeared in True Detective, FUBAR, Wicked City, and Terminator: Dark Fate.
Rutina Wesley as Maria
The fourth and final actor to reprise their season 1 role, Wesley’s Maria is Tommy’s wife. She’s also the democratically elected leader of Jackson’s council and mother of their pair’s child.
A regular on The CW’s Arrow TV show, viewers may recognize Wesley from Hannibal‘s TV adaptation, The Cleveland Show, and Outsiders. Her most prominent role to date, though, was in popular fantasy horror drama True Blood.
Isabela Merced as Dina
Arguably the most important addition to the show’s cast (outside of Abby, anyway), Dina will be played by Isabela Merced.
Ellie’s closest friend and love interest, Dina is a free spirit who’s also incredibly loyal to Ellie. Fans of the game series’ second title will know, though, that their relationship will be put to the test as the story unfolds in this season’s seven-episode installment and, potentially, its yet-to-be-greenlit third season.
2024 was a breakout year for Merced, with the US-Peruvian actor featuring in Madame Web, Turtles All the Way Down, and Alien: Romulus. Before then, she voiced Kate in Dora the Explorer: In the City!, played the titular character in Dora the Explorer’s live-action film, and appeared alongside Dever in Rosaline.
Young Mazino as Jesse
Best known for portraying Paul Cho in season 1 of Netflix’s acclaimed TV Original Beef, Young Mazino is set to play another of Ellie’s close friends Jesse in TLoU season 2.
A selfless individual who’s always looking out for Jackson’s younger citizens, Jesse is also Dina’s on-and-off boyfriend. Major spoilers notwithstanding, he’ll embark on a quest alongside Ellie and Dina that’ll similarly test his devotion to the former.
An actor whose roles came in solitary TV episodes until his breakthrough role in Beef, Mazino was last seen in A24 psychological thriller Opus, which wasn’t one of 2025’s best new movies.
Danny Ramirez as Manny
One of four Fireflies who joins Abby to seek retribution for what Joel did in season 1 episode 9, Manny is a loyal soldier whose biggest fear is failing those he’s closest to.
Fresh off making his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) big-screen debut in Captain America: Brave New World, Ramirez will play Manny. Viewers will know him from Top Gun: Maverick, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Black Mirror.
Post-season 2, his next role will see him play his MCU character Joaquin Torres/Falcon again in Avengers: Doomsday, with the Marvel Phase 6 film set to be released in May 2026.
Tati Gabrielle as Nora
Another member of Abby’s strike team, Nora is a military medic who struggles with the person she used to be. Tati Gabrielle will bring Nora to life in HBO’s TV adaptation.
Gabrielle won’t be unfamiliar to many TV fanatics. Indeed, she had sizeable roles in popular Netflix projects You, Kaleidoscope, and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Away from starring in projects for the world’s best streaming service, Gabrielle can also be seen in Sony’s Uncharted movie and TV show The 100. She’ll next appear in Mortal Kombat 2 this October.
Spencer Lord as Owen
Ally number three of Abby’s, Owen is a gentle giant who, despite his caring nature and reluctance to fight, is forced to use his brute strength to take down his foes. He’s also the voice of reason within the group and ensures the impulsive Abby doesn’t over-commit when it isn’t necessary.
Spencer Lord, who’s most famous for TV shows Family Law and Heartland, will portray Owen. He also played Terry in Riverdale, but that was only a two-episode stint on that program.
Ariela Barer as Mel
The final addition to Abby’s five-strong party, Mel is a doctor who, while committed to her role as the group’s healer, is conflicted in her feelings on the realities of war and the increasingly divisive nature of post-apocalyptic Earth.
Perhaps best known for playing Gert Yorkes in Marvel’s non-canonical MCU TV show Runaways, Barer will portray Mel. Barer is also the co-writer and producer on critically-acclaimed eco-action thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, and has also starred in Rebel, Atypical, and 2021’s Saved by the Bell reboot.
Jeffrey Wright as Isaac
The only star to play the same character he voiced in The Last of Us game series, Jeffrey Wright has been hired to play Isaac. A former US Marine, Isaac is the ruthless de-factor leader of another militia known as the Washington Liberation Front.
Like Pascal, Wright needs no introduction. The beloved actor has appeared in comic book movies and shows, such as DC film The Batman and Disney+ series What If…?, as well as other popular franchises including The Hunger Games, James Bond, and Westworld.
Catherine O’Hara as Gail
The only new character created for TLoU‘s TV adaptation, Gail is a Jackson-based psychotherapist who Joel will confide in.
She’ll be played by Catherine O’Hara, who was confirmed to be play a supporting role in season 2 last February. However, her character’s identity was kept a secret until a few weeks before season 2’s release – indeed, HBO didn’t even reveal who she was portraying following the release of The Last of Us season 2’s first trailer.
An iconic actor whose career spans 50 years of TV and film, O’Hara is most famous for her roles in Beetlejuice, the Home Alone movies, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. More recently, she’s appeared in highly-rated Apple TV+ show The Studio, Universal Pictures’ The Wild Robot, and the critically-panned Universal/Apple joint venture flick Argylle.
Joe Pantoliano as Eugene
A character who’s only briefly referenced in Naughty Dog’s two games, Eugene is a former Firefly who joined the Jackson community alongside Tommy. In HBO’s retelling, however, he’ll be Gail’s husband. In much the same way that Bill and Frank’s history was greatly expanded on from the games in season 1 episode 3, Eugene’s backstory will be explored in-depth in the TV show, too.
Pantoliano, who played Cipher in The Matrix‘s original film trilogy and Ralphie in The Sopranos, boarded the project many, many months ago. His involvement in HBO’s remake, though, was only recently made public.
The Last of Us season 2 will be released on Max (US and Australia) and Sky/Now TV (UK).
Leave a comment