"The Last of Us Season 2 Adds Six to Cast Before April Premiere"

HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 is gearing up for its premiere on April 13, and the cast is expanding with six new actors joining the show. According to Variety, the new additions include 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 characters from the original The Last of Us Part II game and new characters created for the series. Joe Pantoliano will take on the role of Eugene, a character who was briefly introduced in the game as Ellie and Dina's friend. In Season 2, Eugene's role will be expanded, giving viewers a deeper look into his background and his connection to Joel and Ellie's relationship. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann shared with Variety their excitement about fleshing out Eugene's story, similar to how they expanded Bill's character in Season 1.

Robert John Burke will play Seth, the bar owner and bigot from The Last of Us Part II, while Noah Lamanna will portray Kat, Ellie's former girlfriend. Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, and Hettienne Park will introduce new characters to the series: Hanrahan, Burton, and Elise Park, respectively.

These new cast members join the already impressive lineup, which includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Isabela Merced as Dina, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy. The showrunners have hinted that the narrative of The Last of Us Part II will unfold over multiple seasons, promising more surprises as the episodes are released.

For more insights into The Last of Us Season 2, you can explore why the show might span four seasons and learn about Neil Druckmann's plans to include some "pretty brutal" cut content from the original game.