The Last Of Us Season 2 Is Expanding On An Unseen Video Game Character (& His Actor Is Cast Wildly Against Type)

Joe Pantoliano has been cast as Eugene in The Last of Us season 2, and based on how Eugene is described in the game, he’s a wildly unconventional choice for the role. Set to premiere on HBO on April 13, The Last of Us season 2 will begin to adapt the massive nonlinear narrative of The Last of Us Part II as Ellie heads to Seattle on a quest for vengeance. It won’t adapt the whole game; this initial seven-episode season will only tell part of it, with another one or two seasons planned to complete the story.

The showrunners have already teased that The Last of Us season 2 will explore unseen stories from the video game, which could mean expanding on Isaac’s rise to power or showing the backstory of the Seraphite prophet. One of those unseen stories will be that of Eugene, who’s confirmed to play a role in the TV show. Apart from a couple of photographs, Eugene doesn’t appear on-screen in the game — he’s not even alive in the game — but just based on how the other characters talk about him, Pantoliano seems like an odd choice for the part.

Joe Pantoliano Has Been Cast As Eugene In The Last Of Us Season 2

Pantoliano Is One Of Six New Actors Added To The Last Of Us Season 2's Cast

The first announcements for The Last of Us season 2’s cast confirmed who would be playing the biggest new characters from the game: Kaitlyn Dever will play the secondary protagonist Abby, Isabela Merced will play Ellie’s girlfriend Dina, and Young Mazino will play Dina’s ex Jesse. Catherine O’Hara joined the ensemble as Joel’s therapist, while Jeffrey Wright was confirmed to reprise his video game role as Isaac. Now, six more actors have been added to The Last of Us season 2’s cast, including Noah Lamanna as Ellie’s ex-girlfriend Kat and Robert John Burke as homophobic bartender Seth.

This latest casting announcement also confirmed that Joe Pantoliano will play Eugene. Pantoliano previously worked with HBO when he played the recurring role of sociopathic mobster Ralph Cifaretto in 21 episodes of The Sopranos. He’s also known for playing Cypher in The Matrix and Teddy Gammell in Memento. Eugene is mentioned a few times in The Last of Us Part II, and he has an important backstory, but he never appears in person throughout the game. Co-showrunner Neil Druckmann, who created the video game franchise, said he was “excited” to explore the character in more depth in the TV series.

Who Is Eugene In The Last Of Us Part II?

Eugene Is An Ex-Firefly Who Served With Tommy

Early on in The Last of Us Part II, while Ellie and Dina are on patrol on the outskirts of Jackson, they talk about a Jackson resident named Eugene who recently passed away from a stroke. Dina used to do that patrol route with Eugene, and he taught her how to rewire electronics. Ellie mentions that Eugene was really funny, and when they find a bong at the lookout, Dina mentions that Eugene always had weed on him. During an intense blizzard, Ellie and Dina take shelter in a library, which turns out to be an old hideout of Eugene’s.

There, Ellie learns that Eugene is a former Firefly who served with Tommy before moving to Jackson. He left his family behind to join the Fireflies’ cause, and according to Dina, he was “so lonely.” In the basement of the library, Ellie and Dina find Eugene’s old grow operation and enjoy one of his joints. Pantoliano’s casting seems to confirm that Eugene will be alive and well in the TV show. The stroke that kills him might happen in the series instead of taking place off-screen before the events of the story.

Why Pantoliano Is A Curious Choice To Play Eugene

Eugene Is Chill & Affable, Which Is Nothing Like Pantoliano's Usually Brash & Abrasive Characters

While Pantoliano is a great actor and it’ll be interesting to see the TV show expand on Eugene’s character, he’s a strange choice for the role. When Ellie and Dina are talking about Eugene, they describe him as the most chill, affable, friendly, easygoing dude in Jackson, which is a stark contrast from the brash, abrasive characters that Pantoliano usually plays. Pantoliano is known for playing slimy, sleazy, duplicitous characters, which is the polar opposite of how Eugene is described in The Last of Us Part II.

In the Bad Boys franchise, Pantoliano played the loudmouthed, ball-busting police captain. In The Matrix, he played the two-faced snake who betrayed Morpheus’ crew and sabotaged their resistance against the machines just so he could enjoy digital steak. In The Sopranos, he played a heartless killer with a sadistic sense of humor. Either The Last of Us’ TV adaptation is drastically recharacterizing Eugene, or Pantoliano is getting a chance to play against type.