Young Mazino will join “The Last of Us” for season 2.
The Emmy-nominated “Beef” actor has been cast as Jesse in the acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama series, HBO announced Wednesday. The character, whose video game counterpart is introduced in “The Last of Us Part II,” is described as “a pillar of his community who puts the needs of others before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.”
“Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him,” series co-creators and executive producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said in a statement. “We are very lucky to have him and can't wait for audiences to see Young shine on our show.”
The announcement follows Tuesday's highly anticipated news that Kaitlyn Dever has cast Abby, a formidable soldier on a mission to avenge her loved ones, for the next season. “The Last of Us,” an adaptation of the popular video game franchise, is set in a world devastated by the outbreak of a mutant cordyceps fungus that transforms human hosts into mindless, zombie-like monsters. In the first season, grizzled and capable survivor Joel (Pedro Pascal) embarked on a cross-country journey with teenager Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in hopes of developing a cure that could save what's left of humanity.
In the game, Jesse is a member of the community where Joel and Ellie eventually settle. A trusted leader, Jesse is a friend of Ellie and part of the community patrol group that kept the city safe from the infected. He even accompanies her on her next big mission.
