Last of Us casts Miriam
HBO's The Last of Us has added Li Jun Li to its Season 3 cast in the role of Miriam, who is described as the mother of Yara and Lev in some coverage (variety.com) (ign.com). Outlets note the casting could signal the show will spend more time on the siblings’ Seraphite background, though writers and producers have not formally outlined the season’s full arc (collider.com).
Li Jun Li has joined HBO’s *The Last of Us* for Season 3, playing Miriam, a Seraphite tied to Lev and Yara. (variety.com) Variety reported the casting on April 17, 2026, and IGN identified Miriam as the mother of Lev and Yara, two siblings already cast for the new season. (variety.com) (ign.com) Deadline reported in March that Michelle Mao will play Yara and Kyriana Kratter will play Lev, placing Li’s character inside a family line the series had not previously announced on screen. (deadline.com) (bloody-disgusting.com) The casting points toward a season built more heavily around the Seraphites, the religious faction from *The Last of Us Part II* whose conflict with the Washington Liberation Front shapes much of Seattle’s story. (ign.com) (collider.com) That fits what the show’s creators said after Season 2: Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann confirmed in June 2025 that Season 3 would shift to Abby’s perspective, with Kaitlyn Dever taking the lead. (hollywoodreporter.com) HBO renewed *The Last of Us* for a third season on April 9, 2025, before Season 2 premiered, and the network said Season 2 would run for seven episodes. (press.wbd.com) Li arrives after a high-profile year tied to Ryan Coogler’s *Sinners*, which multiple trade outlets cited as her breakout role when reporting the HBO casting. (variety.com) (deadline.com) Collider noted Miriam does not appear as a named character in the game, which suggests the show may be expanding Lev and Yara’s backstory rather than simply repeating existing scenes. (collider.com) HBO has not released a full Season 3 synopsis, but the new casting fills in one more piece of a Seattle storyline that is moving away from Ellie and deeper into Abby’s world. (hollywoodreporter.com) (variety.com)
