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May 3 | 4 min readThe Last of Us has finally arrived on our screens, with viewers in the UK able to watch brand new episodes of HBO's post-apocalyptic drama each week.
The nine-part series - which airs exclusively here on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW - is the adaptation of the smash hit PlayStation video game.
The Last of Us follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, and 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey), on a brutal, heartbreaking journey across the United States,20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.
Here, we reveal the list of cast and characters in The Last Of Us, including Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Nico Parker, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, and more.
Pedro Pascal – Plays Joel
Chilean-born actor Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian, Wonder Woman 1984, Game of Thrones) plays Joel, a middle-aged survivor who is tormented by his past trauma.
Supernatural's Jensen Ackles rallied to play Joel in The Last of Us, before Pascal was cast in the role. Ackles said: "I was really kind of pushing hard, but I don't think I was really in the mix or really had a shot at it.”
Bella Ramsey – Plays Ellie
19-year-old English actress Bella Ramsey (The Worst Witch, Game of Thrones) plays Ellie, a 14-year-old girl who's defiant and angry - but wants to feel a sense of belonging.
The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann revealed that he had considered fellow Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams and Booksmart's Kaitlyn Dever for the role before Bella was cast.
Nico Parker - Plays Sarah
Nico Parker (Dumbo, The Third Day) plays Sarah, the 14-year-old daughter of Joel (Pascal).
Another young English star, 18-year-old Nico is the daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton (Line of Duty, Westworld) and writer/director Ol Parker (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again).
Gabriel Luna – Plays Tommy
American actor Gabriel Luna (True Detective, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) plays Joel’s younger brother and former soldier, Tommy.
Anna Torv – Plays Tess
Australian actress Anna Torv (Fringe, Mindhunter) plays Tess, a smuggler and a hardened survivor, like Joel.
Merle Dandridge - Plays Marlene
Broadway star Merle Dandridge (The Flight Attendant) plays resistance leader, and the head of the Fireflies, Marlene.
Merle reprises her role of Marlene from the video games, the only actor to do so.
Nick Offerman - Plays Bill
The role of Bill was originally offered to Con O'Neill (Chernobyl), but he couldn't film the series because he was busy shooting Our Flag Means Death.
Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman replaced him and delivered an emotional and moving performance as a survivalist, who discovers love in the apocalypse. Offerman is expected to pick up award nominations for the episode.
Alongside playing Ron Swanson, Offerman's TV and movie roles include Fargo, The Founder, Sing, The Lego Movie and Devs.
Murray Bartlett - Plays Frank
Australian Murray Bartlett played Frank in episode 3 - Long, Long Time. Frank is captured by Bill, but the couple end up falling in love and spending the rest of their lives together.
You may have previously seen Bartlett in Looking, Tales of the City, The White Lotus or Welcome to Chippendales.
Melanie Lynskey - Plays Kathleen
New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men, Togetherness, Don't Look Up, Yellowjackets) plays Kathleen, the ruthless leader of a resistance group in Kansas City.
Jeffrey Pierce - Plays Perry
Jeffrey Pierce (Bosch, Castle Rock) plays Perry, who serves as a rebel commander in a former quarantine zone in Kansas City. Pierce voices the role of Tommy in The Last of Us video game.
Lamar Johnson - Plays Henry
Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give) plays Henry, the most wanted man in Kansas City, hiding with his brother Sam.
Keivonn Woodard - Plays Sam
TV newcomer, Keivonn Woodard - who is a deaf actor - plays Sam. We find him in Kansas City hiding from a revolutionary group seeking vengeance on his older brother, Henry.
Rutina Wesley - Plays Maria
Rutina Wesley (True Blood, Queen Sugar) plays Maria, who Joel and Ellie meet in episode 6 of The Last Of Us, Kin.
Storm Reid - Plays Riley
Storm Reid joined The Last of Us in episode 7, playing Ellie's best friend and love interest Riley.
Episode 7 is based on the The Last Of Us DLC (downloadable content), which explored Ellie's backstory before she met the fireflies and Joel.
Talking about online trolling about Riley and Ellie's relationship, Reid told Entertainment Weekly: "It's 2023. If you're concerned about who I love, then I need you to get your priorities straight.
"There's so many other things to worry about in life. Why are you concerned that these young people - or anybody - love each other?
"Love is beautiful, and the fact that people have things to say about it, it's just nonsense."
19-year-old Storm Reid is best know for staring in A Wrinkle In Time, Don't Let Go, When They See Us and HBO's Euphoria.
Scott Shepherd - Plays David
Scott Shepherd arrives in The Last of Us episode 8, playing preacher David and the cult-like leader of a settlement at a holiday camp.
David controls his community through manipulation and introduces cannibalism. He has an unhealthy facsination with Ellie when they first meet.
Scott Shepherd has previously starred in TV shows and movies including Bridge of Spies, Jason Bourne, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and The Young Pope.
Troy Baker - Plays James
Troy Baker appears in episode 8 of The Last of Us, playing James, a senior member of David's group of settlers in a holiday camp.
The cult-like group have adopted cannibalism and submit to David's preaching.
Troy Baker famously played Joel in The Last of Us computer game and hosts the official Last of Us TV show podcast.
He's famous for his voiceover work in animation and games and holds the record for the most acting nominations at the BAFTA Games Awards.
Ashley Johnson - Plays Ellie's mum Anna
Following on from Troy Baker's cameo in episode 8, Ashley Johnson who played Ellie in the computer game, will appear in the finale, episode 9.
Johnson, appropriately, will play Ellie's mum Anna. Anna was referenced in the game, but never seen. She is expected to appear in a flashback sequence.
The game's creator Neil Druckmann told Variety: "I had written a short story after we had shipped the game already [about Ellie's mum]. It was supposed to be an animated short, but it fell apart and didn’t come to be. There was a moment where we almost made it as DLC, but it fell apart.
"In our conversations, I brought it up to Craig and he was immediately excited by it, or as he would say 'activated'.
"We brought it to life in the most beautiful, poetic way, which is Ashley Johnson playing Ellie’s mom."
The Last of Us full cast list
- Pedro Pascal – Plays Joel
- Bella Ramsey – Plays Ellie
- Nico Parker - Plays Sarah
- Gabriel Luna – Plays Tommy
- Anna Torv – Plays Tess
- Merle Dandridge - Plays Marlene
- Murray Bartlett - Plays Frank
- Nick Offerman – Plays Bill
- Melanie Lynskey - Plays Kathleen
- Jeffrey Pierce - Plays Perry
- Lamar Johnson - Plays Henry
- Keivonn Woodard - Plays Sam
- Rutina Wesley - Plays Maria
- Storm Reid - Plays Riley
- Graham Greene – Plays Marlon
- Elaine Miles - Plays Florence
- Ashley Johnson - Plays Anna (Ellie's mum)
- Troy Baker - Plays James
- Scott Shepherd - Plays David
Stream The Last of Us weekly on Sky Atlantic with NOW.
Image credit: © 2023 Home Box Office, Inc. All rights reserved. HBO® and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.
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All about Ellie: Bella Ramsey's best TV shows and movies in spotlight
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