The Last of Us TV shows finds its Riley in Euphoria star Storm Reid

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Riley is Ellie's best friend from The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC

Storm Reid in Euphoria
(Image credit: HBO)

HBO's The Last of Us TV show has cast Euphoria star Storm Reid as Riley Abel, Ellie's best friend and a key character from The Last of Us' Left Behind DLC.

Deadline broke the news with a report on Reid's casting and The Last of Us game director Neil Druckmann, who's co-writing the first season of the HBO adaptation, confirmed the report on Twitter. "Riley! Welcome to the fam, Storm Reid!" wrote Druckmann.

Reid is perhaps best known her role as Gia Bennett in the HBO series Euphoria, where she stars alongside Zendaya and Maude Apatow. The young actor found her breakout role in an appearance in 2013's 12 Years a Slave, eventually taking on more prominent roles in big screen flicks including A Wrinkle in Time, The Invisible Man, and The Suicide Squad.

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Riley was only mentioned in the first Last of Us game, but she's the deuteragonist alongside Ellie in the Left Behind DLC. Her casting in The Last of Us TV show all but confirms that the series will adapt the story from the Left Behind DLC, which sees Ellie and Riley navigating a post-apocalyptic Boston before Ellie unites with Joel in the first game.

Reid's co-stars in HBO's The Last of Us include Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, and Gabriel Luna as Joel's brother Tommy. We're expecting production to last until June of this year, with indications that the series could also premiere this year.

For what to watch right now, check out our guide to the best shows of 2021 to see if there are any you missed.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.