The roster for the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us grows bigger every day. The latest actor to jump on board the critically acclaimed adaptation of Naughty Dog’s series of games is Catherine O’Hara of Beetlejuice and Schitt’s Creek fame. She’ll be joining returning leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, along with Kaitlyn Dever who is taking the role of Abby.
The official announcement came via the Max Twitter account following an appearance by O’Hara on Watch What Happens Live in which O’Hara responded “yeah” to a fans question about rumors she was in discussion for a role in The Last of Us season 2. O’Hara also jokingly replied by saying, “How do you know these things?” Rumors of O’Hara’s involvement first surfaced on January 29 from reporter Daniel Richtman.
As to who O’Hara will play in Season 2, that is currently being kept under wraps. Unlike other high-profile casting news for Season 2, such as Dever’s casting as Abby, O’Hara’s role remains a mystery. When looking through the plot of The Last of Us Part 2 for a hint at who she could be playing, there aren’t any big parts that stick out. The more likely scenario is that she will be playing a character original to the TV adaptation. One of the biggest (and best) departures the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us made from its source material was the addition or expansion of characters with minor connections to Joel and Ellie’s story. A standout example was the third episode, “Long, Long Time,” starring Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. The most likely scenario is that O’Hara will get to headline her own episode that shows off her dramatic chops. Season 2 is scheduled to begin shooting this month.