Isabela Merced Says The Last Of Us Star Bella Ramsey Gave Her “Really Good Advice” For Season 2

Actress Isabela Merced joins the cast of HBO’s The Last of Us for its upcoming second season as Dina, one of the main characters. Speaking to Flaunt, Merced revealed more of how she prepared and what fans can expect from Season 2.

Merced said she was asked to audition for Season 2 and played both The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Part II in one weekend. But Merced didn’t even know who she was auditioning for.

“I guess I could’ve just gotten on YouTube and watched scenes from the game,” she said. “But it’s just so different. I am so glad I did play the game, because now when I am on these sets that look just like the game, I am familiar with it.”

Merced went on to say Ellie actress Bella Ramsey gave her “really good advice” for Season 2, but she didn’t go into specifics. “She really just laid it all out there and her advice has been great and true. They put people first on this set, and that’s a really lovely and often rare thing to see in this industry,” she said.

Merced previously talked about how she had a “mind-blowing instant connection” with The Last of Us bosses Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann and that she had chemistry with Ramsey on day one.

The Last of Us Season 2 is just one of Merced’s high-profile projects debuting in 2025, as she’s also starring in James Gunn’s Superman as Hawkgirl. She will be seen next in the horror movie Alien: Romulus from director Fede Alvarez; the movie debuts this August. “I’ve already seen a lot of the scenes from it, and it’s truly terrifying,” she said.

In addition to Merced, The Last of Us Season 2 adds Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Young Mazino as Jesse. Ramsey returns as Ellie and Pedro Pascal comes back to play Joel. Season 2 releases in 2025, and filming is now underway.