"The Last Of Us" Is Getting A Second Season, So Here's Every Character And Who Should Play Them
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The Last of Us has been a major success for HBO, and a lot of it is due to the stellar casting. In the sequel to the video game on which the show is based, there are plenty of brand-new characters who have yet to be cast.
Naughty Dog / Via giphy.com
So with Season 2 confirmed, here's every major character in The Last of Us Part II video game and who should play them!
🚨🚨MAJOR SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US (THE GAME AND THE SHOW), AS WELL AS SPOILERS FOR THE LAST OF US PART II VIDEO GAME. 🚨 🚨
Abby should be played by...
Controversial. Complicated. Buff. Abby was a divisive addition in The Last of Us Part II, but she's become one of my personal favorite video game characters of all time.
What we're looking for in an actor: An actor who can swing between vicious intimidation and quiet moments of vulnerability. She's not the biggest talker and hides her emotions behind her muscles, so a lot of Abby's character is shown through her facial performance and movement.
...Chloë Grace Moretz
Sony / Via giphy.com
With her experience in action, drama, and horror (as both victim and monster), Chloë Grace Moretz would be my top pick for Abby.
I've seen a lot of fan castings calling for Florence Pugh to play Abby, and I think she'd be a great fit. But hear me out: Pugh is just too damn charming.
That's not to say Moretz isn't charismatic, but Abby needs to have an intimidating edge to her that I feel Moretz's experience in horror would be better suited for.
Whoever HBO goes with for Abby has their work cut out for them. Divisiveness over the character aside, it's important to remember an advantage that video games have over live action: They can combine different faces, bodies, and voices into one character.
Ultimately, Abby was portrayed by three different people in the game: Laura Bailey (voice and movement), Jocelyn Mettler (face model), and Colleen Fotsch (body model). The live-action actor will have to embody all of those different elements into a single performance.
Dina should be played by...
Dina is more than just Ellie's romantic interest in The Last of Us Part II. She pulls (or at least attempts to pull) Ellie back from going too far in her quest for vengeance.
She also mirrors Ellie, experiencing similar loss but choosing to build something from the grief rather than losing herself in anger, as Ellie does.
What we're looking for in an actor: Dina is fun-loving but knows when it's time to get serious. This actor will have to be magnetic enough to have all eyes on them during the dance, while still being strong enough to go toe-to-toe with Ellie.
...Alana Haim
United Artists / Via giphy.com
Let's first get it out of the way that I'm all for Paolina Hernandez van Kleef playing Dina.
If you don't know who I'm talking about, she played the girl staring at Ellie in Episode 6 ("Kin") and is rumored to be a young Dina. But just in case the rumors turn out to be false, let's talk Alana Haim.
With her breakout role in Licorice Pizza and a kinetic stage presence as a musician, Haim is certainly capable of being the energetic center of a dance scene like when Ellie and Dina first kiss.
She's also proved her dramatic chops, and she'd do a great job confronting Ellie toward the end of Part II's story.
Jesse should be played by...
Charming, soft-spoken, yet firm in any decision he makes, Jesse is brave without being reckless. He'll charge into a firefight to save a friend without hesitation, but he has no problem admitting when it's time to pull back.
What we're looking for in an actor: Jesse needs to exude calmness under pressure above all else. We also need to believe that Dina would be interested in him, considering that he is her ex-boyfriend before she falls for Ellie.
...Ki Hong Lee
20th Century Fox / Via giphy.com
The main movie in Ki Hong Lee's catalog that convinces me he'd be perfect for Jesse is Maze Runner. Even when he's sprinting for his life to avoid a death trap, Lee's character always seems as if he's got everything under control without coming off as cocky.
Nora should be played by...
This is a small but important role that plays a big part in Ellie's story.
What we're looking for in an actor: When I played through this game, I initially trusted that Nora would be a good person. When she suddenly insults Joel and runs from Ellie, I was caught off guard. The actor playing Nora needs to be able to quickly convince you they're not a threat, but still be capable of turning ruthless on a dime.
...Kirby Howell-Baptiste
I'm familiar with Kirby Howell-Baptiste from The Good Place, where she plays a charming neuroscientist whom one of the main characters falls in love with. She's a comedic and charming actor, and I definitely would not see it coming if she turned out to be a cruel person, as Nora does in The Last of Us Part II.
Mel should be played by...
Mel is a truth teller who isn't as concerned with warring factions as she is with finding normalcy in the postapocalypse.
What we're looking for in an actor: Mel needs to have the caring nature of a medic without being afraid to get heated with Abby when the two start arguing.
...Alison Brie
Amazon / Via giphy.com
Alison Brie's comedic experience would lend itself to the awkwardly funny scenes when Abby and Mel are trying to bond at the beginning of the story.
But when things get serious, Brie has plenty of dramatic experience under her belt to play Mel cutting through Abby's defenses and telling her what she really thinks.
Owen should be played by...
A protective risk-taker, Owen struggles between his desire to fight and a longing to build a normal home with Mel.
What we're looking for in an actor: There is a scene in the game where Owen builds a sanctuary in the aquarium and excitedly shows it to Abby. While the actor playing him will need strong leadership qualities, they will also need to express how deeply Owen wants a normal life in this scene.
...Lucas Hedges
With roles as sensitive characters in Boy Erased and Lady Bird, as well as playing someone tougher in movies like Manchester by the Sea and Mid90s, Lucas Hedges would be perfect for Owen.
Yara should be played by...
Yara is a caring sister whose main goal is to look after her brother Lev. She also thinks for herself, questioning the Seraphites' religion and defying her mother.
What we're looking for in an actor: Yara is protective, but not much of a fighter. She needs to show her bravery and care for Lev through her intelligence rather than conflict.
...Madison Hu
With plenty of comedy experience and a recent role in Voyagers, Madison Hu has plenty of range to capture Yara's defensive personality. Hu is actually older than Bella Ramsey (playing Ellie) but could still pull off the 16-year-old character.
Lev should be played by...
Lev has a lot of spirit but is still finding himself throughout The Last of Us Part II. After feeling guilt over leaving his and his sister's tribe, he becomes like a sibling to Abby and is the main reason she changes her ways.
What we're looking for in an actor: Lev goes through a cycle of grief, anger, and confusion throughout this story, and the performer will have to portray someone who is still discovering how they fit into the world.
...Ian Alexander
Ian Alexander is an actor who has appeared on Star Trek: Discovery and The OA. But they also work in video games, playing Lev himself in The Last of Us Part II!
That's right, I think the showrunners should go ahead and hire the actor who already played this character and knocked it out of the park. And considering that they have plenty of live-action television experience, no one would do it better.
Isaac should be played by...
We first meet the calm and terrifying leader of the WLF as he's torturing someone, and Isaac doesn't exactly change throughout the course of this story.
What we're looking for in an actor: We need someone who can be weathered yet authoritative, and reserved yet imposing.
...Jeffrey Wright
HBO / Via giphy.com
Okay, I know I just did this with Ian Alexander as Lev, but how can you not get Jeffrey Wright to reprise his role as Isaac? No one will be able to match his gravelly voiced menace.
Manny should be played by...
Manny needs to pull a trick similar to Nora, getting viewers to trust him one moment and then turning brutal in a heartbeat.
What we're looking for in an actor: On the opposite side of Joel and Ellie, Manny is technically a "villain" who goes so far as to torture those who disagree with his faction. But in addition to being ferocious, he needs to be charming as hell.
...Diego Boneta
Vogue / Via giphy.com
Singer and actor Diego Boneta has been in musicals and action movies and even played Luis Miguel in a recent series. He certainly has the charm to pull off the ladies' favorite WLF member.
The Rattlers (at least these two) should be played by...
All we need to know about the Rattlers, who appear late in the game, is that they are the absolute worst of humanity — brutally enslaving, imprisoning, and torturing people. These are the main two Rattlers we see before Ellie starts mowing them all down.
What we're looking for in an actor: These characters don't get much screentime, so all we need are actors who can act scary and come across as comfortable with committing atrocities.
...Ron Perlman and Clifton Collins Jr.
Sony / Via giphy.com, Hulu / Via giphy.com
A match made in heaven (or hell?), Clifton Collins Jr. and Ron Perlman are great actors, but I wouldn't want to see the two of them walking toward me in a dark alley. And the cherry on top is that they look exactly like the video game characters.
