The Last of Us, an American post-apocalyptic drama television series for HBO based on the video game franchise, features an ensemble cast. The first season, based on 2013's The Last of Us, follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they travel across the United States. In the second season, based on the first half of 2020's The Last of Us Part II, they have settled in Jackson, Wyoming, with Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie's friends Dina (Isabela Merced) and Jesse (Young Mazino). After Joel's death, the group travels to Seattle to track down his killer, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who is set to be the focus of the third season.

The first season sought high-profile guest stars, such as Anna Torv as Joel's partner Tess, Merle Dandridge and Melanie Lynskey as resistance leaders Marlene and Kathleen, Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as survivalists Bill and Frank, Rutina Wesley as Tommy's wife Maria, and Storm Reid as Ellie's best friend Riley. Wesley returned in the second season, which featured guest stars for Jackson-based characters like Robert John Burke as bar owner Seth, Catherine O'Hara as therapist Gail, and Joe Pantoliano as Gail's husband Eugene, as well as Seattle-based characters such as Jeffrey Wright as militia leader Isaac, and Spencer Lord, Tati Gabrielle, Ariela Barer, and Danny Ramirez as Abby's friends Owen, Nora, Mel, and Manny, respectively.

Series creators and writers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann felt the television medium allowed an opportunity to explore characters' backstories further than the games, which Druckmann wrote and co-directed. Casting took place virtually through Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with several high-profile guest stars cast for singular or few episodes. Pascal and Ramsey were cast for their abilities to embody the characters and imitate their relationship. The performances of the main and guest cast throughout the series received critical acclaim for their chemistry and several have received accolades, including two wins and 15 nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Conception and casting

The Last of Us is written by series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann; the latter wrote and co-directed the video games on which the series is based. Unlike creating the games, Druckmann felt he was able to "unplug" from the characters when writing the show due to the immersive nature of video games. The writers found the series an opportunity to delve into backstories of characters who the game otherwise ignored, wanting to better understand their motivations.

Druckmann was open to changing any aspects of the games but always wanted a strong reason, ensuring he and Mazin considered the impacts on events later in the narrative. They avoided making "a zombie show", acknowledging the infected creatures were ultimately a vessel through which the characters are pressured to make interesting decisions and reveal their true selves. When casting actors, Mazin is more interested in their "souls" than their physical resemblance to the game versions.

Casting for the first season took place virtually through Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Casting director Victoria Thomas wanted to honor the game without being limited by it. Mazin and Thomas sought high-profile guest stars; Thomas said many of the actors "don't usually do one-episode guest spots". The producers primarily sought actors who could embody Joel and Ellie individually as well as imitate their relationship.

Casting for the second season was put on hold in May 2023 due to the Writers Guild of America strike; actors had been auditioning with scenes from The Last of Us Part II (2020) due to an absence of scripts. Casting director Mary Vernieu approached Mazin and Druckmann with lists of actors for roles, including many with whom they were unfamiliar. Several roles—such as Dina, Jesse, and Abby—were cast without auditions or tests; the actors were offered the roles. Mazin instead focused on actors fitting their individual roles and had "faith" that they would work with their co-stars. The second season introduces several new characters and spends more time with them. Mazin felt the new actors "fit right in" due to the series's established reputation.

Overview

Character Portrayed by Episodes Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Main characters Joel colspan="11" colspan="2" data-sort-value="Guest" Ellie colspan="16" Tommy colspan="4" colspan="3" colspan="3" data-sort-value="Guest" colspan="2" colspan="2" Dina colspan="9" colspan="7" Jesse colspan="9" colspan="3" data-sort-value="Guest" colspan="3" Abby colspan="9" colspan="2" colspan="4" Owen colspan="9" colspan="2" colspan="4" Nora colspan="9" colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="2" Mel colspan="9" colspan="2" colspan="4" Yara colspan="9" colspan="7" Lev colspan="9" colspan="7" Secondary characters Sarah colspan="4" colspan="3" colspan="7" Marlene colspan="7" colspan="7" Tess colspan="3" colspan="6" colspan="7" Ratna colspan="7" colspan="7" Bill colspan="2" colspan="6" colspan="7" Frank colspan="2" colspan="6" colspan="7" Henry colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="7" Sam colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="4" colspan="7" Kathleen colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="4" colspan="7" Perry colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="4" colspan="7" Maria colspan="5" colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="2" Marlon colspan="5" colspan="3" colspan="7" Florence colspan="5" colspan="3" colspan="7" Riley colspan="6" colspan="2" colspan="7" David colspan="7" colspan="7" James colspan="7" colspan="7" Anna colspan="8" colspan="7" Seth colspan="9" colspan="3" colspan="2" Manny colspan="9" colspan="3" colspan="3" colspan="9" colspan="7" Kat colspan="9" colspan="4" Gail colspan="9" colspan="2" Isaac colspan="9" colspan="3" colspan="2" Janowicz colspan="9" colspan="3" colspan="3" Javier colspan="9" colspan="5" Eugene colspan="9" colspan="5"

Notes

Main characters Joel

Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) is a hardened middle-aged survivor who is tormented by the trauma of his past. He is tasked with smuggling a young girl, Ellie, out of a quarantine zone and across the United States. Unlike in the games, which required Joel (as the player character) to perform near-superhuman actions for the player to progress, he is more vulnerable in the serieshe is hard of hearing in one ear due to a gunshot and his knees ache when he stands. Andrew Diaz portrays a young Joel in "The Price".

Pascal's casting was announced on February 10, 2021. Earlier that day, it was reported Mahershala Ali was offered the role of Joel after Matthew McConaughey turned it down; The Hollywood Reporter noted Ali "did circle a role" in the show, but a deal was never formed. Pascal became available for a new series after the release of the second season of The Mandalorian, attracting several offers for projects from large networks, of which he chose The Last of Us, partly to work with Mazin. Mazin and Druckmann had been considering Pascal for some time. He accepted the role within 24 hours; The Mandalorian producers gave Pascal permission to work on the series. He reportedly earned per episode for the first season, making him one of the highest-paid American television stars.

Pascal was chosen for his ability to portray a tough, tortured, and vulnerable character who suppresses his emotions until necessary. A non-gamer, Pascal watched his nephew play the beginning of the first game because he lacked the skill to play it himself; he found Joel to be "so impressive" but was concerned about imitating the games too closely, instead choosing to "create a healthy distance" and allow the showrunners to decide the characterization. Pascal based Joel's voice on his own experiences growing up in San Antonio, Texas, paring it back from the Southern accent used in the game.

Empires John Nugent and /Films Valerie Ettenhofer referred to Pascal's performance as the best of his career, citing his ability to portray nuance and rare vulnerability. TechRadars Axel Metz described him as the "perfect real-world manifestation" of Joel. GameSpots Mark Delaney said Pascal's performance in the first episode made him cry twice and lauded his ability to portray different sides of Joel; Push Squares Aaron Bayne found Pascal's performance reflected Joel's torment without speaking, In the fourth episode, The A.V. Clubs David Cote enjoyed Pascal's warmth and humor, particularly in scenes in which he teaches Ellie; Den of Geeks Bernard Boo considered the sixth episode among the best performances of Pascal's career; TVLine named Pascal the Performer of the Week, citing his emotions and physicality, and Push Squares Bayne opined he balanced "the stoic masculinity with tender vulnerability". Several reviewers lauded Pascal's range of demonstrating terror, fragility, and rage in the ninth episode. For his role, Pascal won Best Hero at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, and was nominated at several ceremonies, including the Golden Globe Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards.

Pascal began the second season's production tired and injured after working on Gladiator II (2024), which Mazin felt was appropriate for Joel's state of mind. Pascal, who grew close with Ramsey during the first season, considered their separation "cruel" for the second, though he considered it a realistic parental fissure. Pascal found Joel's "stubborn paralysis" fueled by fear of losing Ellie forced him to become vulnerable, which helped him address exhaustion in his own life. Critics lauded Pascal's second-season performance for bringing warmth, charisma, and hardiness to Joel; Colliders Ross Bonaime called his performance his career-best and Inverses Valerie Ettenhofer felt Pascal was able to fall "effortlessly back into the performance that gives the series its beating, broken heart". The Hollywood Reporters Angie Han found his performance shone through both his words and the unspoken emotions in his eyes. His chemistry with Ramsey was similarly praised; Rolling Stones Alan Sepinwall found some episodes weaker for their absence. Pascal was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series at the 5th Astra TV Awards.

Ellie

Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is a teenage girl who displays much defiance and anger but has a private need for kinship and belonging. 14-years-old in the first season, she has not lost her playfulness, bonding easily with children, and has a fondness for puns. She is immune to the Cordyceps infection and may be the key to creating a vaccine. In keeping with the games, she is a lesbian. In the second season, Ellie, now 19, has become tougher, like Joel, but maintains her humor.

Ramsey's casting was announced on February 10, 2021. Any actors considered for Ellie for the canceled film adaptation had aged out of consideration, resulting in a reset of candidates. Around 105 actors had been considered; the producers sought a performer who could portray a resourceful, quirky, and potentially violent character. Ramsey secured the role within a month of their audition. They were aware of the game before auditioning, but were encouraged not to play it to avoid replicating the original performance, instead watching some gameplay on YouTube to "get a sense of it"; they still had not played it after filming the series. They wanted their performance to be reminiscent of the games without copying them. Ramsey, who is English, learned an American accent for the role, and had to cut off over 15 inches of hair. They wore a chest binder for 90 percent of production for better focus on set.