Isabela Merced Joins the cast of ‘The Last of Us’
Peruvian American actress Isabela Merced, known for her roles in "Father of the Bride" and "Transformers", is joining the cast for season two
Photo: HipLatina press video
The post-apocalyptic drama “The Last of Us” starring Chilean American actor Pedro Pascal is one of the most successful video game adaptions and the highly anticipated season two just got a new Latina cast member. It was recently announced that Peruvian American actress Isabela Merced joining Season 2 of the hit HBO series set in a post-apocalyptic world 20 years after a fungal infection spread. She’ll be playing Dina, Ellie’s love interest, who is described as a free-wheeling spirit whose devotion to Ellie will be tested by the brutality of the world they inhabit. No additional details have been released about the character at this time and creators are tight-lipped about how they’ll be adapting part two of the game. Merced shared the news on her Instagram saying, “This is very crazy/cool!!”
“Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable,” Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us co-creators, writers, executive producers and directors, said in a statement. “You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”
Mazin and Druckmann haven’t revealed much about how they are adapting the events of Part II, which takes place five years after what transpired in the first game. In part two of the game, Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are living in Jackson, Wyo. with Joel’s brother Tommy and Tommy’s wife Maria. When a violent act occurs, their worlds are completely changed and this sets the stage for all that unfolds. In the game Dina and Ellie have a strong connection but their trajectories come into conflict and only create more difficulties amid the chaos that surrounds them.
Merced’s film credits include the titular role in the live-action film Dora and the Lost City of Gold , the Father of the Bride remake at Max, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and Transformers: The Last Knight. She also starred in the 2022 Shakespearian movie Rosaline opposite Kaitlyn Dever whowas announced as a new cast member for season two as well in the pivotal role of Abby.
The premiere episode reached more than 10 million viewers across its first two days of availability, catching up to the House of the Dragon initial series premiere audience in just two days. It was initially reported that it drew HBO’s second-biggest debut of the last 13 years, behind the Game of Thrones prequel.
HBO plans to begin filming season two in February ahead of a projected 2025 premiere.
