Josh Peck surprises 'The Last of Us' fans with cameo: 'A tough secret to keep'
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal discuss father-daughter relationship
'The Last of Us' stars Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal reveal they didn't enjoy their character's estrangement in season 2.
"Drake & Josh" fans never thought that they'd see Josh Peck on "The Last of Us," but he found a way to surprise them.
The actor, 38, unexpectedly popped up for a small but important role in the opening scene of the HBO series' latest episode, which aired May 4.
In an opening flashback sequence, Peck played a FEDRA soldier who tells his comrades a vulgar story about a violent encounter with citizens. The tone in the scene quickly shifts after the sergeant, Isaac Dixon (Jeffrey Wright), calls out Peck's character for his thoughtlessness.
But any fans who expected Peck to be a new series regular were sorely mistaken. Isaac soon betrays and murders the soldiers, including Peck's character, and defects to the Washington Liberation Front. The scene serves to provide an origin story for Isaac, who is later seen in the show's present as leader of the WLF.
Peck's "Last of Us" role was not announced by HBO and remained a secret until the episode aired.
On Instagram, the "Amanda Show" alum shared some behind-the-scenes photos from the set and noted that "this was a tough secret to keep."
'The Last of Us' Season 2 begins with major changes to the video game: What's different?
"It was an honor to play a small part in one of my favorite shows, with one of my favorite actors ever," Peck wrote, referring to Wright.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the episode's director, Kate Herron, compared Peck's quick death to Drew Barrymore being unexpectedly killed in the opening scene of "Scream."
"We had people read (for the part), obviously," Herron told EW. "Josh's read came in, and Josh is fantastic. We were like, 'We need to get Josh.' But also the idea of it just being Josh ... I love the idea we get to Drew Barrymore him in 'Scream.' People just wouldn't see it coming."
;The Last of Us' creator on Joel's shocking death, Pedro Pascal's return
Peck is most widely known for his work on the Nickelodeon shows "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh." Since then, his notable roles have included parts in Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" and "How I Met Your Father," a spin-off of "How I Met Your Mother." He currently hosts the podcast "Good Guys," on which he recently reunited with former co-star Drake Bell.
The latest episode of "The Last of Us" marked viewers' introduction to Isaac, a key character from the video game on which the HBO series is based. Wright also played Isaac in the game.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Will The Gilded Age Stage a Crossover With Downton Abbey in Season 4? ‘There's an Opportunity To,' EP Says
With the third season of The Gilded Age ending this Sunday, and the third Downton Abbey movie hitting theaters next month, we couldn't help but wonder… when the heck are these two Julian Fellowes-created franchises finally going to collide? It's a question we've been asking since The Gilded Age first premiered in 2022, but now that Gladys (Taissa Farmiga) has married into British nobility, the time feels more appropriate than ever. Come on, who didn't get Downton vibes from the Duke's house? More from TVLine Mark Ruffalo's Task, From Mare of Easttown EP, Gets September Premiere Date on HBO - Watch Trailer Isabela Merced Talks Dina's 'Fervor' in The Last of Us Season 3: 'A Woman With a Plan Is So Unstoppable' - TVLine's Women to Watch What to Watch This Week: 40+ Premieres, Finales and More 'Well, obviously there's an opportunity to [stage a crossover], because they are both in England,' Fellowes tells TVLine. 'Things like the shooting season or whatever would incorporate many great houses for all of these families, as they would travel around England. We can bring about a conjunction whenever we wish, really, but we haven't got one planned yet, so we'll have to see.' To be fair, this is a much more encouraging answer than executive producer Gareth Neame gave us when we spoke with him back in The Gilded Age's first season. '[A crossover is] not in the thinking at all,' Neame says. 'It's a separate universe, but they're both fictions set in the 1880s. Downton Abbey, in its own fiction, was definitely there. A younger version of the Maggie Smith character would be living there, I guess. But it's not really planned.' A younger version of Smith's iconic Dowager Countess? Hey, he said it, not us. Wouldn't it be fun, if even as a fleeting cameo, to catch a glimpse of someone from the Crawley family on The Gilded Age? The first season of Downton Abbey began with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, meaning it takes place less than 30 years after the current season of The Gilded Age, which would put the Countess somewhere in her 40s. Just something to think about. Gilded Age fans, would you like to see the show collide with the world of Downton Abbey, even if it's just a nod? Drop a comment with your thoughts below. Gilded Age IRL: See the Cast Out of Costume View List Best of TVLine 'Missing' Shows, Found! Get the Latest on Ahsoka, Monarch, P-Valley, Sugar, Anansi Boys and 25+ Others Yellowjackets Mysteries: An Up-to-Date List of the Series' Biggest Questions (and Answers?) The Emmys' Most Memorable Moments: Laughter, Tears, Historical Wins, 'The Big One' and More Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Harry Potter TV Series Casts the Weasleys: First Look at Ron's Siblings and More From the HBO Adaptation
Harry Potter fans are seeing red — and a lot of it — as HBO has just announced the casting of four more pivotal characters for its upcoming live-action series adaptation of the boy wizard's story. HBO on Tuesday revealed the actors playing Ron Weasley's brothers and sister: Tristan Harland as Fred, Gabriel Harland as George, Ruari Spooner as Percy and Gracie Cochrane as Ginny Weasley. The announcement came with a first look at the foursome, joined by brother Ron. More from TVLine Mark Ruffalo's Task, From Mare of Easttown EP, Gets September Premiere Date on HBO - Watch Trailer Isabela Merced Talks Dina's 'Fervor' in The Last of Us Season 3: 'A Woman With a Plan Is So Unstoppable' - TVLine's Women to Watch Will The Gilded Age Stage a Crossover With Downton Abbey in Season 4? 'There's an Opportunity To,' EP Says As previously announced, young actors Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout will respectively play the main trio of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in HBO's Harry Potter adaptation, while John Lithgow (as Albus Dumbledore), Janet McTeer (Minerva McGonagall), Paapa Essiedu (Severus Snape) and Nick Frost (Rubeus Hagrid) are among the adult cast members. Harry Potter TV Series: Everything We Know View List The Harry Potter series, which began production in July 2025, is described as a 'faithful adaptation' of J.K. Rowling's popular novels, 'full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years,' per the official synopsis. The show will premiere sometime in 2027, though a more exact release date has yet to be announced. Scroll down to keep tabs on all the latest castings, then hit the comments with your thoughts on HBO's picks! Dominic McLaughlin as Harry Potter Who's Harry?: The titular wizard, a student at Hogwarts, 'The Boy Who Lived,' Played By: Daniel Radcliffe Arabella Stanton as Hermione Granger Who's Hermione?: One of Harry's closest friends — and one of Hogwarts' biggest overachieversPreviously Played By: Emma Watson Alastair Stout as Ron Weasley Who's Ron?: Harry's best friend and a fellow student at HogwartsPreviously Played By: Rupert Grint Tristan Harland, Gabriel Harland, Ruari Spooner and Gracie Cochrane as the Weasley Children Who are the Weasley kids?: Ron's brothers and sister, each of whom play a different — and in some cases integral — role in Harry's Played By: James Phelps (Fred), Oliver Phelps (George), Chris Rankin (Percy) and Bonnie Wright (Ginny) Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy Who's Draco?: Harry's perpetual rival at Hogwarts who gets sorted into Slytherin HousePreviously Played By: Tom Felton Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom Who's Neville?: Harry's hapless Hogwarts classmate and fellow GryffindorPreviously Played By: Matthew Lewis Other Hogwarts students who have been cast include Leo Earley as Seamus Finnigan; Alessia Leoni as Parvati Patil; and Sienna Moosah as Lavender Brown. John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore Who's Dumbledore?: Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and WizardryPreviously Played By: Michael Gambon, Richard Harris Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape Who's Snape?: Potions professor at HogwartsPreviously Played By: Alan Rickman Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall Who's McGonagall?: Transfiguration professor at HogwartsPreviously Played By: Maggie Smith Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid Who's Hagrid?: Groundskeeper at Hogwarts and Harry's first pal in the wizarding worldPreviously Played By: Robbie Coltrane Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell Who's Quirrell?: Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts during Harry's first yearPreviously Played By: Ian Hart Louise Brealey as Madam Hooch Who's Madam Hooch?: Quidditch coach at HogwartsPreviously Played By: Zoë Wanamaker Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch Who's Filch?: Hogwarts caretakerPreviously Played By: David Bradley Bertie Carvel as Cornelius Fudge Who's Fudge?: Head of the Ministry of MagicPreviously Played By: Robert Hardy Katherine Parkinson as Molly Weasley Who's Molly?: The kind-hearted matriarch of the Weasley familyPreviously Played By: Julie Walters Johnny Flynn as Lucius Malfoy Who's Lucius?: Draco Malfoy's dastardly fatherPreviously Played By: Jason Isaacs Bel Powley as Petunia Dursley Who's Petunia?: Harry's Muggle aunt, who reluctantly takes him in after Harry's parents are killedPreviously Played By: Fiona Shaw Daniel Rigby as Vernon Dursley Who's Vernon?: Harry's ill-tempered Muggle uncle, who reluctantly takes him in after Harry's parents are killedPreviously Played By: Richard Griffiths Amos Kitson as Dudley Dursley Who's Dudley?: Harry's snot-nosed Muggle cousinPreviously Played By: Harry Melling Anton Lesser as Garrick Ollivander Who's Ollivander?: Expert wandmaker and owner of Ollivander's wand shop in Diagon AlleyPreviously Played By: John Hurt Best of TVLine Stars Who Almost Played Other TV Roles — on Grey's Anatomy, NCIS, Lost, Gilmore Girls, Friends and Other Shows TV Stars Almost Cast in Other Roles Fall TV Preview: Who's In? Who's Out? Your Guide to Every Casting Move! Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
'Silicon Valley' star Kumail Nanjiani says Elon Musk hated HBO satire
Elon Musk hated HBO's 'Silicon Valley' so much that he reportedly felt compelled to gripe about its satirical portrayal of lame 'tech bro' parties — and brag to the show's star about the superior shindigs he has attended himself. Kumail Nanjiani said that the world's richest mogul complained to him that the tech gatherings depicted on the HBO comedy were nothing like his exclusive billionaire bashes. 'He was like, all the parties I go to are much cooler than these parties,' Nanjiani, 47, told comedian Mike Birbiglia on his podcast last week about meeting Musk. 5 Kumail Nanjiani, star of the hit HBO satire 'Silicon Valley,' said that Elon Musk panned the show. YouTube / Mike Birbiglia 5 Musk supposedly told Nanjiani, that 'all the parties I go to are much cooler than these parties.' AP The 'Silicon Valley' star had the perfect comeback: 'I was like, yeah man, you're one of the richest people in the world. We're, like, losers on the show. Of course your parties are better than my parties.' Nanjiani's revelation offers a rare glimpse into Musk's thinking on how Hollywood portrays the tech elite — even in a show that never actually featured him as a character. The Tesla CEO's reaction sparked renewed interest in the real Silicon Valley party scene, which in years past has gained notoriety for pushing boundaries far beyond what HBO ever showed. 'Silicon Valley,' which was created by Mike Judge of 'Beavis and Butt-Head' fame, ran for 53 episodes across six seasons from 2014 to 2019. The series followed Richard Hendricks, an awkward programmer building a startup called Pied Piper with his misfit friends. The show earned five consecutive Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series by savagely mocking 'brogrammer culture' and the eccentricities of tech billionaires. While Musk never appeared as a character, the series featured various fictional moguls like Gavin Belson of 'Hooli' who parodied traits associated with real tech titans. Nanjiani revealed he'd met several Silicon Valley heavyweights during the show's run, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. But Musk stood out for his particularly negative reaction, according to the actor. The HBO show particularly irritated Musk with its opening scene featuring Kid Rock performing at a sparsely attended tech party, according to Nanjiani. 'The first scene of the show is — it's such a funny opening — it's Kid Rock playing on stage,' Nanjiani explained, 'and then it cuts to the audience and it's at, clearly, some tech party. There's seven nerdy dudes standing there, (and) nobody's paying attention.' 'Elon was upset. He was like, 'Well, the parties I go to are much cooler than these parties,'' the 'Big Sick' star recalled. 5 Nanjiani is seen alongside co-stars Martin Starr (left) and Thomas Middleditch (right) in a scene from 'Silicon Valley.' AP 'It was like, 'Yeah man, you're one of the richest people in the world. We're like losers on the show. Of course your parties are better than my parties. What are you talking about?'' Back in 2014, Musk showed up at a special screening of 'Silicon Valley' and made it clear he wasn't impressed, according to Vox. Speaking to reporters afterward, Musk complained that Judge had missed the essence of the tech world's party scene. 'I really feel like Mike Judge has never been to Burning Man, which is Silicon Valley,' Musk said at the afterparty. 5 While Musk never appeared as a character, the series featured various fictional moguls like Gavin Belson of 'Hooli' who parodied traits associated with real tech titans. 'If you haven't been, you just don't get it. You could take the craziest LA party and multiply it by a thousand, and it doesn't even get fucking close to what's in Silicon Valley. The show didn't have any of that.' Musk contrasted Silicon Valley's social culture with Hollywood's, adding: 'The parties in Silicon Valley are amazing because people don't care about how they're perceived socially, which I don't think Mike got. Hollywood is a place where people always care about what the public will think of them, and it's f–king sad, and the show felt more like that.' 'I've lived in Hollywood 12 years, and I've never been to a f–king good party,' Musk said. He even went so far as to suggest he'd personally take Judge to Burning Man—though it's unknown if the offer was ever taken up. The billionaire's complaint about party accuracy becomes more intriguing considering what really goes down at elite tech gatherings. Emily Chang's explosive 2018 book 'Brotopia' exposed secretive Silicon Valley parties featuring drug use and open sexual behavior among venture capitalists and founders. 5 Back in 2014, Musk showed up at a special screening of 'Silicon Valley' and made it clear he wasn't impressed. AP These events allegedly involved MDMA and 'cuddle puddles' encouraging intimacy, with women reporting feeling pressured to participate. Chang claimed Musk attended at least one such gathering in 2017 at investor Steve Jurvetson's house — though Musk vigorously disputed her characterization. The SpaceX founder insisted he thought it was a costume party and saw nothing inappropriate before leaving early. 'Nerds on a couch are not a 'cuddle puddle,'' Musk told Wired in 2018. 'I was hounded all night by DFJ-funded entrepreneurs, so went to sleep around 1am. Nothing remotely worth writing about happened.' His reference to Draper Fisher Jurvetson-funded entrepreneurs suggests even Musk's 'cooler' parties involve relentless networking and startup pitches. DFJ is a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm that funds technology startups. The Post has sought comment from Nanjiani and Musk.
