The Last of Us Earns Six Acting Emmy Nominations (But Not For Everyone’s Favorite Character)

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In the 2025 Emmy Awards, The Last of Us Season 2 garnered a staggering 15 nominations, with no less than six nods going to the talented cast members. The star duo, Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, were both acknowledged, alongside four guest actors. However, viewers expressed disappointment that one supporting actress, Isabela Merced, who portrayed Ellie’s girlfriend Dina in this season, was seemingly overlooked. Despite the large cast, six nominations is quite an achievement. Fans are puzzled about why she wasn’t nominated and where she would fit into the Emmy categories.

In the latest awards, Pascal is up for the best lead actor in a drama series, portraying Joel on The Last of Us Season 2. Meanwhile, Ramsey is nominated as the outstanding lead actress for her role as Ellie. The remaining nominees fall under the categories of outstanding guest actor or actress in a drama: Joe Pantoliano for his performance as Eugene, Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, and Catherine O’Hara as Gail. The show itself has garnered nine additional nominations, recognizing its achievements in production design, casting, picture editing, contemporary makeup, prosthetic makeup, music supervision, sound editing, sound mixing, and special visual effects.

This season’s haul was impressive as it concluded right on time for shows eligible for Emmy consideration (airing between June 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025). The Emmys typically honor such productions. Interestingly, The Last of Us Season 2 might have faced some challenges due to its condensed season with only seven episodes. However, it generated a significant amount of hype prior to its airing, mainly due to the positive reception of its premiere in 2023.

Speaking as a movie enthusiast, I must say Merced has quite a lot to boast about these days. Most notably, she made her DC Universe debut this weekend as Hawkgirl in “Superman,” and is set to reprise that role next month with an appearance in “Peacemaker” Season 2 on HBO Max, airing August 21st. Not only that, but she’s riding high from a phenomenal year in 2024, with roles in “Madame Web” and “Alien: Romulus.

In summary, geek-related themes were noticeable in this year’s Emmy nominations, featuring Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Elseworlds, Star Wars, and acclaimed series like The Last of Us. This contradicts the idea of “franchise exhaustion,” demonstrating that exceptional productions can shine regardless of their source or ongoing storylines. Undoubtedly, this topic will resurface when the Emmys are broadcast live on September 14th on CBS and Paramount+.

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2025-07-15 21:43