The Last of Us (TV series)
🎭 Meet the Cast of The Last of Us
Bringing unforgettable characters to life in a world turned upside down
For the full character breakdown, check out: Characters of The Last of Us (TV series)
⭐ Main Cast
Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller
Pedro Pascal steps into the role of Joel, a rugged survivor haunted by his past. Joel is tasked with escorting a teenage girl across a devastated United States — a journey that becomes deeply personal. Unlike his video game counterpart, this version of Joel shows more physical wear: he's hard of hearing in one ear and struggles with knee pain, adding a touch of realism to his hardened exterior.
Bella Ramsey as Ellie
Bella Ramsey plays Ellie, a spirited teenager with a sharp tongue, a love for puns, and a deep longing for connection. Immune to the Cordyceps infection, Ellie may hold the key to humanity’s survival. While she’s tough and independent, her softer side shines through in her bonds with others. In season two, her relationship with Joel becomes more complicated as they navigate the aftermath of their shared journey.
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
Appearing in a guest role in season one and returning as a main character in season two, Gabriel Luna plays Tommy — Joel’s younger brother. A former member of the Fireflies, Tommy still believes in the possibility of a better world. Now settled down and running a commune with his wife Maria, he brings hope and a calm perspective to the chaos around him.
Isabela Merced as Dina (Season 2)
Dina is introduced in season two as Ellie’s love interest and Jesse’s ex. Portrayed by Isabela Merced, Dina is free-spirited and loyal, but the harshness of their world begins to test even the strongest of bonds.
Young Mazino as Jesse (Season 2)
Jesse, played by Young Mazino, is a valued member of his community who often puts others before himself — sometimes at great personal cost. His selflessness and quiet strength make him a steady presence in the group.
🎥 Guest Stars
Rutina Wesley as Maria
Maria, portrayed by Rutina Wesley, is a co-leader of the Jackson survivor community and Tommy's pregnant wife. Formerly an assistant district attorney, she brings a level-headed and compassionate approach to leadership, balancing justice with mercy.
🎬 Behind the Scenes of The Last of Us
How the game turned global hit became a groundbreaking TV series
🔧 Production & Development
What began as a scrapped movie adaptation eventually grew into one of the most ambitious TV series ever made.
After attempts to adapt The Last of Us into a film stalled in development hell by 2016, original game creator Neil Druckmann crossed paths with Craig Mazin (Chernobyl). The two agreed: the story needed the breathing room and emotional depth only a TV series could offer. In March 2020, HBO officially announced the show, with Mazin and Druckmann on board as writers and executive producers.
This marked PlayStation Productions' first venture into television, teaming up with Sony Pictures Television, Naughty Dog, and production companies Word Games and The Mighty Mint. The series was greenlit later that year, with a stacked team of producers including Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam.
Originally set to span ten episodes, the first season was trimmed to nine during filming. But quality didn’t suffer — if anything, it soared.
The show premiered in January 2023, and HBO didn’t wait long — it renewed The Last of Us for a second season just two weeks later. While season one covered the original 2013 game and its DLC (Left Behind), season two jumps straight into the events of the sequel, The Last of Us Part II. The creators confirmed the sequel’s story will span multiple seasons, with a “significantly larger” third season already in development — and even hints of a possible fourth.
By early 2024, new directors were brought in, including Kate Herron, Nina Lopez-Corrado, Mark Mylod, and Stephen Williams, joining Druckmann, Mazin, and Peter Hoar behind the camera. Season two was confirmed to include seven episodes. And in April 2025 — just ahead of season two’s premiere — HBO gave the greenlight for season three.
🎥 Filming Scale & Budget
The first season was filmed across Alberta, Canada, making it the largest television production in Alberta’s history — and possibly in all of Canada. It generated over CA$182 million and created nearly 1,500 local jobs. The production also caused a 30% spike in Canadian union membership for entertainment workers.
With a budget exceeding CA$100 million, or over $10 million per episode, The Last of Us surpassed the early seasons of Game of Thrones in terms of cost — putting it among the most expensive series ever made. And the budget only grew for season two.
🎭 Lights, Camera, Casting!
How the perfect cast brought the apocalypse to life
🔍 Season 1 Casting
Casting began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with virtual auditions held over Zoom. Casting director Victoria Thomas aimed to honor the source material without being tied to it. She looked for actors who could not only embody their roles but recreate the emotional chemistry fans loved in the game.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey were cast in February 2021 as Joel and Ellie. While both had appeared in Game of Thrones, they met for the first time during filming — and immediately clicked. That instant chemistry shaped the emotional backbone of the show.
High-profile guest stars followed throughout 2021 and 2022, including:
Gabriel Luna as Tommy
Merle Dandridge as Marlene
Nico Parker as Sarah
Anna Torv, Jeffrey Pierce, Nick Offerman, Storm Reid, Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, Melanie Lynskey, Lamar Johnson, and more
Victoria Thomas noted that many of the guest stars were actors who normally wouldn’t appear in single-episode arcs — showing just how much the project meant across the industry.
🔎 Season 2 Casting
Casting for the second season was briefly paused in mid-2023 due to the Writers Guild of America strike. With no finalized scripts, actors auditioned using scenes from The Last of Us Part II. The production team prioritized casting Abby — a central figure in the sequel.
By January 2024, the main additions were announced:
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby
Isabela Merced as Dina
Young Mazino as Jesse
Further cast members joined in early 2024 and 2025, including:
Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Danny Ramirez, Spencer Lord, Jeffrey Wright, and more.
Most recently, Ahlers, Burke, Lamanna, Pantoliano, Park, and Ubach were revealed in March 2025.
Reception
Critical Response
The performances of several guest stars in The Last of Us's first season received widespread critical acclaim. Among those lauded were Nico Parker, Anna Torv, Nick Offerman, Murray Bartlett, Melanie Lynskey, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Montreal Woodard, Gabriel Luna, Storm Reid, and Scott Shepherd, with many critics praising their emotional depth and range.
On Rotten Tomatoes, season one holds a 96% approval rating based on 486 reviews, with an average score of 8.75/10. Metacritic assigned it a weighted average of 84 out of 100, signifying “universal acclaim.” Reviewers frequently hailed the show as the best video game adaptation to date. GameSpot's Mark Delaney even called it “the beginning of a new era” for the genre.
Critics appreciated how the series diverged from the game’s narrative, often finding those differences to be its greatest strength. Interestingly, some noted that the most game-faithful moments were the weakest and disrupted pacing. The third episode, in particular, was nearly universally praised—many critics deemed it the season's standout and one of the finest episodes of modern television. The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg said it elevated the series, while Empire's John Nugent described it as "one of the finest hours of television in recent memory."
Praise was also heaped on the show’s production design, which many noted captured the essence of the video game’s world with uncanny accuracy.
The performances of Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey were at the heart of the show’s success. Critics highlighted their chemistry and emotional resonance. Pascal was hailed for what many called a career-best performance, showcasing both vulnerability and strength. Ramsey was similarly celebrated for a breakout role that balanced humor with raw emotion.
Guest stars drew similar acclaim: Parker was noted for her charm, Torv for her layered portrayal, and Lynskey for blending humanity with menace. Critics also highlighted the chemistry between Pascal and Luna, as well as between Ramsey and Reid. Offerman and Bartlett were singled out for what Complex called their "career-best" work. IGN praised Johnson’s emotional performance, especially in his final scenes, while Total Film highlighted Woodard’s naivety as a powerful narrative tool. The A.V. Club's David Cote described Shepherd’s understated performance as “masterful.”
In season two, Isabela Merced, Kaitlyn Dever, and Catherine O’Hara joined the cast, each earning praise for their compelling performances. The season earned a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (based on 59 reviews, average rating 8.4/10), and a Metacritic score of 83/100, continuing the acclaim.
Critics largely agreed that the second season solidified The Last of Us as the gold standard in video game adaptations. /Film’s Jeremy Mathai said it “sets a new standard” and praised the show’s unified creative vision. Collider’s Ross Bonaime called it “one of 2025’s best seasons of TV.” The action sequences in episode two were even compared to Game of Thrones at its peak.
Episode six was widely considered the emotional high point, deepening the bond between Joel and Ellie. Many reviewers applauded the second season’s darker tone, deeper themes, and complex character development. However, some critics felt that the reduced screen time for Joel and Ellie weakened the narrative. Others criticized the faster pacing and a story arc that felt incomplete.
Pascal and Ramsey’s continued chemistry drew praise. Critics celebrated Pascal’s mix of strength and sensitivity, and Ramsey’s portrayal of a traumatized yet still emotionally vulnerable Ellie. Merced emerged as a season highlight for her warmth and humor, and her chemistry with Ramsey was particularly noted. Dever’s intense performance—anchored in grief and rage—was viewed by some as the most commanding of the season. O’Hara impressed critics with her dramatic range, while Luna, Young Mazino, Jeffrey Wright, and others also delivered strong performances. However, some felt these supporting characters were underutilized or underdeveloped. Inverse’s Valerie Ettenhofer remarked that a few interactions felt “strangely artificial” compared to the emotional realism of the first season.
Ratings
The series debuted to impressive numbers. The premiere episode drew 4.7 million viewers on its first night in the U.S., marking the second-biggest HBO debut since 2010, just behind House of the Dragon. Within two months, viewership ballooned to nearly 40 million.
In Latin America, it became HBO Max's biggest premiere ever, and the games saw a significant boost in sales after the show's debut. Episode two saw a 22% increase to 5.7 million viewers, marking the largest second-week audience growth for any original HBO drama. By January 31, the first two episodes were averaging 21.3 million viewers. By March 12, that number had climbed to 30.4 million, outpacing House of the Dragon and becoming the highest average for an HBO series since Game of Thrones's final season.
In the UK, the finale drew over three million viewers, becoming Sky’s most-watched U.S. series finale, surpassing House of the Dragon. The series broke streaming records across Europe and Latin America, and by May, it averaged nearly 32 million viewers per episode in the U.S.—making it HBO’s most-watched debut season ever.
Awards and Nominations
The Last of Us made history as the first live-action video game adaptation to receive major awards consideration. It was nominated for 24 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning eight at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards—including acting nods for Nick Offerman and Storm Reid.
It took home two Screen Actors Guild Awards, including Best Actor for Pedro Pascal, as well as honors from the Directors Guild of America and Writers Guild of America. It earned nominations from the Producers Guild, Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, TCA Awards, and led the Astra Creative Arts TV Awards with six nominations.
In genre-specific accolades, it received five Saturn Award nominations, won three MTV Movie & TV Awards (including Best Show), and earned six People’s Choice Award nominations—including Show of the Year.
In recognition of representation, the show received the Seal of Authentic Representation from the Ruderman Family Foundation for casting Keivonn Montreal Woodard, a deaf actor, as Sam.
The Last of Us is a gripping American drama series set in a haunting post-apocalyptic world. Brought to life by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO, the show is adapted from the iconic video game series by Naughty Dog. Set two decades into a global pandemic triggered by a deadly fungal outbreak, the infected are turned into terrifying, zombie-like beings, leading to the fall of civilization.
The debut season, inspired by the 2013 game, follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened smuggler who’s given a life-altering mission: escort a teenage girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who’s mysteriously immune to the infection, across a devastated America. The second season picks up five years later, drawing from The Last of Us Part II (2020), and introduces a new character, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), adding deeper layers to the story.
The show features standout guest appearances from Nico Parker as Joel’s daughter Sarah, Merle Dandridge as the fearless Marlene, Anna Torv as Tess, Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Montreal Woodard as brothers Henry and Sam, and Melanie Lynskey and Jeffrey Pierce as resistance fighters Kathleen and Perry.
Season one was shot across Alberta between July 2021 and June 2022, while season two moved production to British Columbia from February to August 2024. A high-budget collaboration between Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Naughty Dog, the Mighty Mint, and Word Games, the series is among the most ambitious ever made for television. Original game creator Neil Druckmann worked closely with Mazin for the first season’s nine episodes, alongside Halley Gross and Bo Shim for the second season’s seven-part arc. Music legends Gustavo Santaolalla (returning from the games) and David Fleming delivered a haunting score that perfectly complements the show's emotional depth.
Since premiering on January 15, 2023, The Last of Us has earned critical acclaim for its powerful storytelling, stellar performances, stunning visuals, and unforgettable soundtrack. With over 40 million views in its first two months and an average of 32 million viewers per episode by May, it quickly became HBO’s most-watched debut season. The second season launched on April 13, 2025, and a third is already in the works.
Writing
The writing of The Last of Us balances intense post-apocalyptic storytelling with emotional depth. Craig Mazin penned most of the first season's episodes, co-writing the premiere and finale with Neil Druckmann—who also wrote and co-directed the original game. Druckmann also handled the emotionally-charged seventh episode.
For season two, the writing team expanded to include Halley Gross—who co-wrote The Last of Us Part II—and Bo Shim. Together with Mazin and Druckmann, they aimed to elevate the storytelling, focusing on themes of humanity, loss, and survival. Mazin tackled the first five episodes solo and collaborated with Druckmann and Gross on the final two.
The team intentionally steered the narrative away from becoming a typical “zombie series.” Instead, the infected serve as a backdrop for more compelling human stories, where characters are pushed to their emotional and moral limits. HBO encouraged the writers to prioritize character-driven drama over action-heavy sequences.
New material not found in the games was added to enrich character backstories and expand the world. The second season's broader ensemble allowed for more complex stories and increased action, something Mazin believes will continue in the third season.
Some changes were made to suit the screen—like altering the outbreak year to 2003 (instead of 2013 in the game) so that the post-apocalyptic world aligns with the show’s air date. The creators also explored the origin of the Cordyceps outbreak more deeply, reflecting a more pandemic-aware audience post-COVID-19. In a shift from the game’s mechanics, airborne spores were replaced with a connected fungal network of tendrils in season one, though spores are expected to return in future episodes.
Themes of change, growth, and community are central to the second season, with tribalism and shifting identities playing major roles in character evolution.
Filming
Season one of The Last of Us was an epic production filmed across Alberta, Canada, from July 2021 to June 2022. With Ksenia Sereda as lead cinematographer, the crew spent over 200 days on set, filming in locations like Calgary, Edmonton, Fort Macleod, Canmore, and Waterton Lakes National Park. The scale was massive, involving an estimated CA$182 million in production costs, over CA$100 million of which went toward the first season alone—making it one of Canada’s largest television productions to date.
After wrapping in Alberta, additional photography took place in Kansas City in October 2022.
Season two moved production to British Columbia under the codename “Mega Sword,” starting in February 2024 and concluding in August. Despite delays from industry strikes, filming continued across Kamloops, Mission, Fort Langley, Downtown Vancouver, Nanaimo, and even returned briefly to Alberta. Locations like Chinatown, New Westminster, and Gastown brought new texture to the show’s evolving world.
With an expanding narrative and higher stakes, production value increased even further in season two. The third season is expected to begin filming in Vancouver by mid-2025.
Music
The soundscape of The Last of Us is crafted with deep emotional resonance, thanks to award-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla—who scored the original games—and David Fleming. Santaolalla brought back familiar themes from the game, reshaping them to fit the show’s tone, while Fleming added texture by incorporating real-world sounds to reflect the show’s ruined environments.
Their combined efforts culminated in a 66-track soundtrack released digitally on February 27, 2023.
Music played a critical storytelling role throughout the series. Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Down Again” underscored both the premiere and episode six, symbolizing Joel and Ellie’s evolving bond. Episode three brought Linda Ronstadt’s “Long, Long Time” back into public consciousness with a touching montage, driving streams of the song to skyrocket.
Other standout musical moments include:
Hank Williams’ “Alone and Forsaken,” referenced in episode four’s title.
Pearl Jam’s “All or None,” highlighting Ellie’s loneliness in episode seven.
A-ha’s “Take On Me” and Etta James’s “I Got You Babe,” used to reflect the tender and complex relationship between Ellie and Riley.
The show’s soundtrack not only enhances the emotional weight of the scenes but also breathes new life into timeless classics.
Design and Post-Production
Bringing The Last of Us to life required an enormous creative effort, with multiple design teams working to make the show's world feel authentically worn, weathered, and reclaimed by nature.
The first season saw the collaboration of five art directors and hundreds of crew members. Artists from Naughty Dog, the game’s original developer, also offered guidance on set design and costume accuracy. Costume designer Cynthia Ann Summers noted the unique challenge of designing wardrobes that blended into a gritty world while still serving the story. Unlike fantasy or period pieces, the costumes had to feel grounded and believable—yet remain narratively expressive.
Production designer John Paino built much of the world using references from the game and Naughty Dog’s visual archives. He created an inspiration collage for the show, including a photograph of reassembled chairs—symbolizing the overarching aesthetic: a once-built world now torn down and pieced back together.
For the infected creatures, prosthetic artists Barrie and Sarah Gower—who had previously worked with Craig Mazin on Chernobyl—crafted designs that mirrored the games. Mazin deliberately avoided relying too heavily on CGI for the clickers, believing practical effects offered a more visceral impact. Choreographer Terry Notary trained actors playing infected to mimic group movement patterns—similar to schools of fish—for a more haunting effect. Voice work for the clickers was done by Misty Lee and Phillip Kovats, both veterans from the games.
Post-production was just as ambitious. Editors Timothy A. Good and Emily Mendez led the editing for season one, with Mark Hartzell and Cindy Mollo joining for specific episodes. Mendez, who began as Good’s assistant, later co-edited several episodes and continued into season two alongside him.
Visual effects played a major role in shaping the world. Over 3,000 VFX shots were created for season one alone, with around 250 per episode. The work was overseen by VFX supervisor Alex Wang and supported by 16 separate visual effects studios. The team at DNEG, consisting of about 650 artists, worked on 535 shots over 18 months—focusing on environmental degradation, natural overgrowth, and Cordyceps-like fungal designs. They used time-lapse footage of real fungal growth to inspire the animation of the infected.
The eerie, organic title sequence was developed by Elastic, designed to highlight the relentless spread of the fungus—setting the tone for the entire series.
Release
The Last of Us premiered in the United States on January 15, 2023, exclusively on HBO and in stunning 4K on HBO Max. The world premiere took place on January 9 in Westwood, Los Angeles, followed by global screenings in Budapest and Sydney on January 11, and New York City on January 12.
HBO released behind-the-scenes featurettes titled Inside the Episode on HBO Max and YouTube following each episode. Additionally, Naughty Dog released Building The Last of Us—a companion documentary with interviews from cast and crew on both the series and the video game.
Home media followed shortly after. The complete first season became available digitally and on DVD, Blu-ray, and Ultra HD Blu-ray in the UK on July 17 and in the US on July 18, 2023. Bonus features included an exclusive short film on adapting the game, interviews with parasitology and microbiology experts, and all Inside the Episode segments.
A groundbreaking addition to the show’s accessibility, The Last of Us became HBO’s first original series to offer an American Sign Language (ASL) version. Performed by Daniel Durant and directed by Leila Hanaumi, the ASL version of season one was released on March 31, 2025, with each new episode of season two launching with an ASL companion.
Season two debuted on April 13, 2025, after a Hollywood red carpet premiere on March 24. International premieres followed in Sydney on April 2, Paris on April 5, and London on April 10.
Promotion
To build excitement ahead of The Last of Us premiere, Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, Bella Ramsey, and Pedro Pascal made a high-profile appearance at the Game Awards in December 2022, where they presented the award for Best Action Game.
HBO’s marketing strategy was built around what they called “breadcrumb content”—a series of subtle teases designed to maintain steady fan engagement. According to Emily Giannusa, HBO’s Vice President of Marketing, the initial goal was to prove the show's loyalty to the source material. However, fan-generated content quickly took over, making that task almost unnecessary.
From as early as 2020, HBO's marketing team was monitoring online chatter and identifying influencers outside the gaming space who showed interest in the series. The first official image of Pascal and Ramsey in costume was unveiled in September 2021, sparking major buzz. The first glimpse of actual footage came via an HBO Max sizzle reel during the premiere of House of the Dragon in August 2022.
A month later, the first teaser trailer dropped, amassing over 17 million views in under 24 hours and topping 57 million organic views in 72 hours—making it the most-watched promotional video in HBO history.
In December 2022, the promotional campaign ramped up with the release of the first full trailer at CCXP, and a second appearance by Pascal, Ramsey, Baker, and Johnson at The Game Awards. HBO also announced a companion podcast hosted by Baker, featuring insights from series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann.
Following the premiere on January 15, a season trailer was released to capitalize on the hype. The cast—including Pascal, Ramsey, Murray Bartlett, and Nick Offerman—embarked on a press tour, appearing on multiple talk shows. Pascal and Ramsey also graced the covers of The Hollywood Reporter and Wired. In a move to widen accessibility, HBO released the first episode for free on HBO Max (U.S.) and on Sky’s YouTube channel (U.K.) on January 27.
Second Season Promotion
For season two, the marketing team took a more calculated approach, carefully curating trailers to avoid major spoilers. HBO released first-look images of Pascal and Ramsey in May 2024, followed by early footage in August, and a full trailer and posters in September.
Additional promotional material rolled out in January 2025, including a new trailer featured during Sony’s Consumer Electronics Show. Character posters for Abby, Ellie, and Joel debuted in February, and a full-length trailer premiered at SXSW in March—where Pedro Pascal, Kaitlyn Dever, and Gabriel Luna appeared to promote the season live.
A global press tour kicked off with stops in London, Los Angeles, Paris, and Sydney, culminating in a red carpet premiere on March 24. The lead cast returned to talk shows for interviews, and Bella Ramsey was featured on the cover of British Vogue, highlighting the series' cultural reach beyond television.