Who is Melanie Lynskey Playing in HBO's The Last of Us?
After dissecting minimal promotional photos and leaked set videos for months, fans finally have a full-length trailer for The Last of Us in the crosshairs and we reveal what surprise character Melanie Lynskey will be playing.
HBO’s first trailer not only gave us a good look at Joel and Ellie’s bond alongside supporting characters, but it also gave us a terrifying first look at the live-action Clicker.
Developed by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO and based on the 2013 video game of the same name by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us follows smuggler Joel who is tasked with escorting teen Ellie across post-apocalyptic America. The series stars Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, and Anna Torv.
The Last of Us | Official Teaser | HBO Max
Who Does Melanie Lynskey Play in The Last of Us?
Melanie Lynskey will be playing an original character named Kathleen, who appeared for a few seconds during the trailer looking fiercer than ever.
Described by an HBO representative to Polygon, Kathleen is a “ruthless leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City.”
Joel and Ellie never visited Kansas City, Missouri in the game and they will also meet Sam and Henry there instead of Pittsburgh.
HBO also mentioned that Sam and Henry were “hiding from a revolutionary movement seeking vengeance,” and it sounds like the same group led by Lynskey’s Kathleen.
Meet the Rest of The Last of Us Cast
Alongside Lynskey’s surprise role are a number of talented actors bringing these characters to life on the small screen, including The Mandalorian’s Pedro Pascal.
- Pedro Pascal – Joel
- Bella Ramsey – Ellie
- Gabriel Luna – Tommy
- Merle Dandridge – Marlene
- Anna Torv – Tess
- Nico Parker – Sarah
- Murray Bartlett – Frank
- Nick Offerman – Bill
- Storm Reid – Riley
- Jeffrey Pierce – Perry
- Lamar Johnson – Henry
- Keivonn Woodard – Sam
- Graham Greene – Marlon
- Elaine Miles – Florence
- Melanie Lynskey – Kathleen
Original voice actors of Joel and Ellie from the video game, Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, have also confirmed that they will be a part of the series, but their roles have not been disclosed.
The Last of Us Release Window and Episode Count
It’s been confirmed that The Last of Us adaptation will premiere sometime in 2023, but thanks to one executive, we now have a more refined window.
“It’s closer to early 2023,” HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys revealed to The Hollywood Reporter, which means less waiting time for fans.
As for the episode count, it has also been confirmed that the series will span ten episodes within its first season.
By Jo Craig – [email protected]
The Last of Us will debut on HBO Max in 2023.
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Jo Craig
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Jo Craig is a staff writer at GRV Media reporting pop culture content on Forever Geek and brainstorming with the HITC Entertainment team. After nearly a decade in the game, Jo finds dissecting Marvel trailers for hours standard practice and still finds time to review, analyse, and research film, anime, video games and everything on the nerdy spectrum. Maintaining a strong social media presence, Jo’s passion for contributing to the geek culture community is a staple in their work and the spark behind vibrant discussions with comrades, even though some disagree that The Lord of the Rings is the best franchise.
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