Who does Li Ju Li play in 'The Last of Us' Season 3 — what we know about 'Sinners' star's new role
'Sinners' star Li Jun Li was one of the Oscar-nominated film's breakout stars and has landed her next big role. Li wil next be seen in 'The Last of Us' Season 3. The HBO Max series sees her play Miriam, a Seraphite and the mother of Lev (Kyriana Kratter), and Yara (Michelle Mao). The latest comes on the back of the siblings' encounter with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), while Ellie (Bella Ramsey) makes her revenge moves in Seattle. Li joins an ensemble cast including Jason Ritter, Patrick Wilson, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, and Spencer Lord, who have been promoted to series regulars after recurring roles in Season 2. Per reports, they join recent additions — Clea DuVall and Jorge Lendeborg Jr., the latter taking over the role of Manny. Returning cast members include Dever, Ramsey, Isabella Merced, Gabriel Luna, and Jeffrey Wright.
Up next, Li will star alongside Nicolas Cage in 'Spider-Noir'. Per Variety, the live-action Prime Video series premieres May 27. The actress shot to fame for her portrayal of Grace Chow in 'Sinners' starring Michael B. Jordan. The vampire drama marked her major big-screen project after 'Babylon'. On the show front, 'The Last of Us' was renewed for a third season soon after the debut of Season 2. Based on the iconic video game franchise, the series is set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungal infection transforming humans into violent creatures. The series was created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. At the time of writing, the series will go on floors for production this summer, although the release date has not yet been officially announced.
In related news, creator Mazin shed light on writing 'The Last of Us' Season 3 after Druckmann exited the show following the end of Season 2. Per THR, "The pages are happening, and I get to be a monk for a while, which I love, and I just write. It’s the purest form of what I do," Mazin said. "And then in just a couple of months or so, that happy time will start to be less quiet because we begin a very long prep period while I’m still writing, and then we begin to shoot while I’m still writing. In seasons one and two, I finished writing about six weeks before we started shooting the last episode." Meanwhile, fans can watch Seasons 1 and 2 of 'The Last of Us' on HBO Max.