Last of Us Season 2 Casts Beef Star Young Mazino as Jesse

“The Last of Us” Season 2 is continuing to build out its cast. Young Mazino is now the latest actor to join the hit HBO series, Variety has learned.

Mazino will appear in Season 2 as Jesse, said to be “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.”

“Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him,” said series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. “We’re so lucky to have him, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Young shine in our show.”

Mazino is the latest cast addition announced for Season 2, with Kaitlyn Dever recently being added in the role of Abby.

Mazino is best known for his role in the critically-acclaimed Netflix limited series “Beef,” in which he starred as Paul, the younger brother of Steven Yeun’s character. His work in the series earned him an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie. His other TV roles include appearances in shows like “Blue Bloods,” “Prodigal Son,” and “New Amsterdam.”

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He is repped by UTA, M88, Jackoway Austen Tyerman, and Narrative.

“The Last of Us” is based on the hit video game of the same name created by Druckmann and developed by Naughty Dog. The official description states “the story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.”

The cast for Season 1 also included Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson, and Troy Baker.

The series is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. Both have also directed episodes of the show. Carolyn Strauss and Evan Wells, president of Naughty Dog, executive produce along with PlayStation Productions’ Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan as well as Rose Lam. The series is a co-production between HBO and Sony Pictures Television. PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog produce.

“The Last of Us” proved to be a massive hit with both critics and audiences. In addition to stellar viewership, the show received multiple awards nominations for its first season. It received three Golden Globe nominations as well as 25 Emmy nominations. While the Primetime Emmy Awards are due to take place on Jan. 15, the show has already won eight Emmys at the Creative Arts Emmys. That includes wins for both Offerman and Reid for best guest actor and actress in a drama series respectively.

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Larita Shotwell

Update: 2024-09-02

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