"The Last of Us Season 2 Adds Six New Cast Members Before April Premiere"

HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 is gearing up for an exciting premiere on April 13, and the cast is expanding with six new actors joining the show. According to a report by Variety, the new additions to the ensemble include Joe Pantoliano, Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, Hettienne Park, Robert John Burke, and Noah Lamanna.

These actors will bring to life both characters from the original The Last of Us Part II game and new characters created for the series. Joe Pantoliano will portray Eugene, a character previously known as Ellie and Dina's pot-smoking friend in the game. While Eugene had a minor role in the game, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have promised that his backstory will be fleshed out more extensively in the series, much like Bill's was in Season 1.

Druckmann shared his enthusiasm with Variety, saying, "I get excited when I see these opportunities. I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t know Eugene that well!’ The story we told [in the game] was somewhat superficial. The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship."

Robert John Burke will take on the role of Seth, the bar owner and bigot from The Last of Us Part II, while Noah Lamanna will play Kat, Ellie's former girlfriend. Alanna Ubach, Ben Ahlers, and Hettienne Park will portray new characters named Hanrahan, Burton, and Elise Park, respectively.

These new cast members will join returning stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Isabela Merced as Dina, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy. The showrunners have hinted that the events of The Last of Us Part II will unfold over multiple seasons, promising further surprises as the episodes are released.

For those eager for more details, The Last of Us Season 2 is set to explore the sequel's story starting April 13. You can also delve into why the series might span four seasons and learn about Druckmann's plans to include some "pretty brutal" cut content from the original game in the new season.