The Last of Us season 3 casts 2 video game actors in TV series - along with major Hollywood star

HBO has added three more names to the cast of The Last of Us season 3, and two of them will be familiar to those who have played the original games.

Deadline has revealed that game performers Ian Alexander and Laura Bailey are joining the live-action series, alongside Emmy-winning actor John Goodman.

The casting was revealed earlier this weekend, with Goodman, best known for his roles in The Conners and Roseanne, revealed to be playing a character called Joey, and Alexander to be playing Paco, a duo who dub themselves "Heroes of the Highway".

Bailey originally voiced Abby in the game - the character played by Kaitlyn Dever in the HBO series - and she is said to be playing Elizabeth, one of the leaders of a religious sect known as the Seraphites.

This isn't the first time that HBO has incorporated the video game performers into the show, with Merle Dandridge and Jeffrey Wright both reprising their original characters, Dandridge as Fireflies leader Marlene and Wright as WLF commander Isaac Dixon.

Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie in the games, also appeared as Ellie's mother in the season 1 finale.

Goodman, Alexander and Bailey join a starry line-up of new faces for the third season.

Previously revealed additions to the cast include Peter Sarsgaard as Seraphite leader Amon, a character created for the show, Li Jun Li as Seraphite Miriam, Jason Ritter as WLF soldier Hanley, Patrick Wilson as Abby's father Jerry, plus Michelle Mao, Clea DuVall and also Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who takes over the role of Manny from Danny Ramirez after the Captain America: Brave New World actor had to drop out due to scheduling clashes.

No plot details for season 3 have been released, but it is expected to centre on Dever's Abby, and the Seraphites are due to play a major role.

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The season is scheduled to premiere in 2027, with Craig Mazin taking on sole showrunner duties for the first time.

HBO has not yet confirmed whether it will be the show's last, however, content chief Casey Bloys has said he believes Mazin "has planned it as the final season".

The Last of Us season 3 will be coming soon to Sky TV and NOW. You can sign up to NOW from £3.99 a month.

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Authors

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.