The Last of Us Part 2 Casts Young Mazino as Jesse

Production on season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us is beginning to ramp up, which means we’re also starting to get official casting announcements for key characters that will be introduced when the season premiers in 2025. Recently, it was announced that Kaitlyn Dever had been cast as Abby, and now, another important role has been filled.

It’s been announced that 32-year-old actor Young Mazino will play the role of Jesse in The Last of Us season 2. Mazino is best known for his role as Paul Cho in Netflix’s Beef, for which he also picked up a nomination at the 2024 Emmys. With The Last of Us Part 2 set to be split across multiple seasons, it should be interesting to see how the show splits Mazino’s screentime, and how prominent he will be in season 2 itself.

At the recent Creative Arts Emmys, The Last of Us won awards in eight categories, with Nick Offerman and Storm Reid also picking up accolades for their roles as Bill and Riley respectively. At the upcoming Primetime Emmys, it’s nominated in an additional five categories.

We're so excited for Young Mazino to step into the shoes of Jesse in @TheLastOfUsHBO Season 2. 🎉 https://t.co/GurthEHRZU

— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) January 10, 2024