Isabela Merced and Young Mizano have been added to the cast of HBO‘s The Last Of Us for season two.
Merced – best known for her roles in Dora And The Lost City Of Gold, Instant Family and Sweet Child – will take on the role of Dina, per confirmation from HBO and original The Last Of Us game developer Naughty Dog. Introduced in The Last Of Us Part II, Dina is the love interest of main protagonist Ellie, played in the HBO series by Bella Ramsay.
“Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” said series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann in a statement to Variety. “You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”
We can't wait to see Isabela Merced's portrayal of Dina in @TheLastOfUsHBO Season 2!
https://t.co/Iqz10g0urU
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) January 11, 2024
Young Mazino, best known for his role in Netflix’s Beef, will also join the cast as Jesse. Also introduced in the second The Last Of Us game, Jesse is the former partner of Dina.
“Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him,” said Mazin and Druckmann to Variety. “We’re so lucky to have him, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Young shine in our show.”
We're so excited for Young Mazino to step into the shoes of Jesse in @TheLastOfUsHBO Season 2.
https://t.co/GurthEHRZU
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) January 10, 2024
Isabela Merced and Young Mazino are now the latest actors to join the cast of season two following Kaitlyn Dever, who has been cast as Abby.
The hit HBO series, based on the post-apocalyptic video game series of the same name, has been renewed for a second season, which is expected to start production in the spring ahead of a 2025 release.
Both Pedro Pascal, who plays Joel, and Bella Ramsay were nominated for Golden Globe Awards for their performances in season one. The critically acclaimed series was also nominated for Best Television Series – Drama, losing out to Succession.
However, the show and its lead actors have also been nominated for 24 Emmys, the ceremony for which will take place on January 15.
The post Isabela Merced and Young Mazino join ‘The Last Of Us’ season two appeared first on NME.
