HBO's The Last of Us has shared a series of major casting announcements, confirming that several characters from the original game will appear in the series, but there may be new faces too.
The show's 10-episode first season is said to be adapting 2013's The Last of Us, but executive producer Neil Druckmann has already revealed that some episodes will "deviate greatly" from the events of the acclaimed game. However, both he and showrunner Craig Mazin have assured fans that the story will only "enhance" previous material rather than "undo" it.
With shooting now fully underway, much of the show's cast has been unveiled, confirming live-action debuts for many of the game's beloved characters. There's also a few original characters created just for the series, including someone named "Mr. Adler" portrayed by Friday Night Lights actor Brad Leland, who has become the latest addition to the cast at time of writing.
Keep reading for our full rundown of who's appearing in The Last of Us — and don't forget to bookmark the page, as we'll be updating this article with all the latest casting news as it comes in.
Pedro Pascal as Joel
Pedro Pascal will play the series' lead male protagonist Joel Miller, who will be seen breaking free of an oppressive quarantine zone and journeying across a post-apocalyptic America. Pascal rose to prominence portraying Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones. His other notable TV credits include playing Javier Peña on Narcos and Din Djarin on The Mandalorian.
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
Pascal will be headlining the series with fellow Game of Thrones alum Bella Ramsey, who will be playing Ellie, a young orphan who is immune to the virus that is ravaging Earth and must be delivered to a group called the Fireflies in order for them to create a cure. Ramsey is best known for her role as the young ruler Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones.
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
It was announced in April that Gabriel Luna had joined the cast as Joel's brother Tommy, a former soldier holding onto his idealism in the post-apocalyptic landscape. The Last of Us will mark Luna's return to HBO following his role on Season 2 of True Detective, though he's perhaps best known for playing Robbie Reyes aka Ghost Rider in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.
Merle Dandridge as Marlene
Merle Dandridge, who voiced Marlene in both The Last of Us and a flashback in The Last of Us Part II, is reprising her role as the leader of the Fireflies in the live-action series. Her past TV credits include The Night Shift, Greenleaf, and Murphy Brown. She also portrayed no-nonsense FBI agent Kim Hammond in HBO Max's Kaley Cuoco series The Flight Attendant.
Nico Parker as Sarah
In June, Nico Parker became the newest member to join the cast of The Last of Us series. She will portay Joel's daughter Sarah following her breakout role playing Milly Farrier in Tim Burton's 2019 reimagining of Dumbo. She also starred alongside Naomie Harris and Jude Law in the 2020 HBO miniseries The Third Day, starring in three of the show's six episodes.
Jeffrey Pierce as Perry
Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Tommy in both Naughty Dog games, is making a return to the franchise as a different character. He will be playing someone named Perry, who's described as a rebel living in one of the country's quarantine zones. As well as lending his voice to video game characters, Pierce has starred in numerous other series such as Bosch and Castle Rock.
Con O'Neill as Bill
In addition to Pierce, it was announced that Con O'Neill will be guest starring as Bill in the series. Those who have played The Last of Us will know that Bill is the man Joel and Ellie visit in the booby-trapped town of Lincoln shortly after leaving Boston. In the upcoming adaptation, the Chernobyl star is expected to play a post-pandemic survivalist.
Murray Bartlett as Frank
Murray Bartlett has been cast as Frank, Bill's partner who was briefly mentioned as a deceased character in the game. The series may recount the events that lead to Frank's death or perhaps Frank will survive and live out his days with Bill. In recent years, Bartlett has starred in HBO's The White Lotus, Netflix's Tales of the City, and Marvel's Iron Fist.
Anna Torv as Tess
Fringe star Anna Torv has been cast to play Tess in a recurring role on the series. In the game, Tess worked with Joel to smuggle weapons in and out of Boston and aided Joel in taking Ellie to the Fireflies. Interestingly, Tess' appearance in the game didn't extend through the entire playthrough, so there is a possibility her role has been expanded for the series.
Brad Leland as Mr. Adler
Friday Night Lights actor Brad Leland has also quietly joined The Last of Us cast. A subreddit for all things related to the series posted an interview found on the A-List Productions YouTube channel in which Leland revealed that he had recently travelled to Canada to shoot some scenes for the show. IMDB has him listed as playing a character called "Mr. Adler."
Keep checking back here to get all the latest casting updates for HBO's The Last of Us.
Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.