Abby star Kaitlyn Dever played the Last of Us games with her dad and has been a fan "for a very long time"

Kaitlyn Dever may be new to The Last of Us season 2, joining the cast for round two as antihero Abby, but she's not new to the games – in fact, she's a "huge" fan and even bonded with her dad playing them together.

"I was nervous, I was anxious, but also very excited," she said of joining the show during a press conference attended by GamesRadar+. "I've been a huge fan of this game and the show for a very long time.

"Ifelt less nervous once I got onto set, just because of this wonderful group of people, and being held by Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann, showrunners], it really felt like I was being cared for and taken care of in a way that I haven't ever really experienced ever before. So it was really a thrill as a person and an actor."

She added, "It was like a real bonding moment for me and my dad, playing it together, and to have it come back around, like, 10 plus years later, it really felt like… Yeah, it felt surreal. Because it really kind of felt like, 'Oh, well, things that are meant to be in your life will happen if they're supposed to.' And it just felt right. Abby felt right. It was very cool."

The next installment of the show sees Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey return as Joel and Ellie, along with a few other new cast members joining Dever. There's Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Danny Ramirez as Manny, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac, a character he also voiced in the game.

The Last of Us season 2 premieres on HBO and Max in the US and Sky and NOW in the UK on April 13. For more, check out our guide to the other best shows on Max to add to your watchlist.