Naughty Dog has announced that Young Mazino will be joining the cast of the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us as Jesse.

Following yesterday’s announcement of Kaitlyn Dever playing the role of Abby in The Last of Us Season 2, Beef actor Young Mazino will be joining her and taking on the character of Jesse.

For those unfamiliar, Jesse is an important supporting character in The Last of Us Part II and the few characters that Ellie calls a friend.

Jesse is also a leader of the patrol groups in the community of Jackson and will be joining Ellie on quite a journey for their friendship.

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

Mazino’s best-known role is Paul Cho in the Netflix series Beef, for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Aside from his role in Beef, Manzino’s credits include Trinity’s Triumph, Blue Bloods, Prodigal Son, and the currently in-production Opus, in which he will star alongside John Malkovich.

He will be joining the returning cast members Pedro Pascal who playes Joel, Bella Ramsey who plays Ellie, and the newly announced Kaitlyn Dever, who will be playing Abby Anderson.

As of writing, The Last of Us Season 2 has yet to have an official release date, but fans are eagerly waiting as the first season debuted in January of last year with critically acclaimed success, prompting HBO to quickly confirm a second season.

Season 2 of the show will see the story told years after the original game and will focus on the repercussions of the choices made by Joel and Ellie in the first chapter.

The Last of Us Part II

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Naughty Dog

Release Date: 2020-06-19

PlayStation 4

Ellie's story continues in the next installment of The Last of Us. Now older, she'll have to navigate more challenges yet, in this somber world she lives in.