The Last of Us casts Beef star in season two
The Last of Us has added Beef star Young Mazino to the cast of season two. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
The Last of Us has confirmed that Emmy-nominated Beef star Young Mazino has been cast in season two of HBO’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic drama-thriller.
On Wednesday (10 January), the official Instagram account for The Last of Us shared with fans that Manzino is the latest cast addition for season two, in which he will play Jesse.
Jesse’s character, who was previously voiced by Stephen Chang in the games, is described as a “pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost”.
Series co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said of Mazino’s casting: “Young is one of those rare actors who is immediately undeniable the moment you see him.
“We’re so lucky to have him, and we can’t wait for the audience to see Young shine in our show.”
Mazino is perhaps best known for his role in Netflix’s hit series Beef in which he starred as Paul Cho, the younger brother of Steven Yeun’s character.
The actor saw his performance in Beef earn him an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
Mazino’s other TV credits include guest appearances on Prodigal Son, Blue Bloods and Blindspot. He is repped by UTA, M88 and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Alongside Mazino being confirmed for season two of HBO’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic video game adaptation, Dopesick star Kaitlyn Dever has been confirmed to play the role of major character Abby Anderson.
Season two of The Last of Us will be filmed in Vancouver, as part of the story in The Last of Us Part II video game is set in the Pacific Northwest, Deadline revealed in March 2023.
After landing an impressive eight wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on 6 January, The Last of Us star Nick Offerman has teased a potential spin-off for the characters of Bill and Frank, who stole audiences’ hearts – and left us in tears – with their devastating queer love story.
The Last of Us season two will reportedly begin production in February.
