HBO has announced that Emmy-winning actor John Goodman has officially joined the cast of the upcoming third season of its critically acclaimed drama series The Last of Us. Revealed on September 26 during the franchise's annual fan celebration, Goodman is set to play an original character named Joey, who was created specifically for the television adaptation and does not appear in the original video game source material.
Within the series, Goodman's character Joey is introduced alongside a companion named Paco, played by Ian Alexander. The pair are described by production as a friendly traveling duo who dub themselves the Heroes of the Highway. The casting announcement was made as HBO continues expanding the universe for Season 3, which is being led by executive producer and showrunner Craig Mazin following the departure of co-creator Neil Druckmann at the end of the second season.
Goodman brings decades of iconic television and film achievements to the post-apocalyptic drama. The acclaimed character actor recently completed a praised run on HBO's dark comedy series The Righteous Gemstones, where he starred as patriarch Eli Gemstone. Throughout his celebrated career, Goodman earned prime-time television immortality as Dan Conner on the hit sitcom Roseanne and its continuation series The Conners. His extensive filmography includes memorable leading and supporting roles in classic titles such as The Big Lebowski, Barton Fink, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Raising Arizona, Monsters, Inc., 10 Cloverfield Lane, and Argo.
The Last of Us television adaptation, based on the award-winning Naughty Dog video game franchise, premiered its debut season on HBO in 2023 to immense critical acclaim and major award recognitions. Starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, the series captures humanity's struggle for survival following a catastrophic fungal pandemic. The show's second season adapted elements of the video game sequel, introducing Kaitlyn Dever as Abby. Season 3 is set to focus heavily on Abby's arc and the expanding conflict with the religious faction known as the Seraphites.
Production for the third season is slated to take place ahead of an anticipated network premiere in 2027. HBO executives have indicated that Season 3 is currently planned to serve as the narrative conclusion to the award-winning television adaptation.
