HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation has picked up a prolific Hollywood actor for a pivotal role, casting Patrick Wilson as Jerry, the father of Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever.
The casting was first reported as a rumor by Jeff Sneider, and Deadline confirmed the news in a subsequent report. Wilson is best known for his work in the 2009 film adaptation of Watchmen, The Conjuring and Insidious franchises, and the Aquaman movies. On television, Wilson starred in HBO’s 2003 adaptation of Angels in America and Season 2 of FX’s Fargo.
The show also cast Matlock actor Jason Ritter as Hanley, a Washington Liberation Front (WLF) soldier. Ritter’s also married to actress Melanie Lynskey, who portrayed the villain Kathleen in the show’s inaugural season. Deadline also reported that Season 2 cast members Ariela Barer (Mel), Tati Gabrielle (Nora), and Spencer Lord (Owen) have been promoted to main cast members.
Spoilers onward for those who haven’t seen Season 2 or played The Last of Us Part II, but vbut even though viewers saw all three of these characters meet their ends, Season 3 will wind back in time and depict events from Abby’s point of view, giving Abby’s friends significantly more screen time. Not joining the returning cast members is Danny Ramirez, who left the role of Manny due to scheduling conflicts and will be replaced by Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
Those who have played the games understand the importance of Jerry in Abby’s story–he was the surgeon who was supposed to operate on Ellie, potentially leading to a cure for the Cordyceps infection that ravaged the world, but at the cost of Ellie’s life. Joel, played by Pedro Pascal in the show, coldly killed Jerry to save Ellie, instigating Abby’s quest for revenge.
While Jerry was briefly depicted in the Season 1 finale of the adaptation, it clearly wasn’t Wilson in the role, with Darren Dolynski playing the then-unnamed surgeon in that episode. Expect to see Wilson portray Abby’s father in flashbacks adapting cutscenes from The Last of Us Part II. Season 3 of the HBO show is expected to premiere sometime in 2027, and HBO boss Casey Bloys suggested that it may be the final season of the show.