Isabela Merced cast as Dina in The Last of Us season 2 - who is Dora the Explorer star, age and net worth

Isabela Merced has joined The Last of Us season 2 after being cast in the role of Dina. She is the third cast member revealed in recent days following the announcement of Dopesick's Kaitlyn Dever as well as Beef's Young Mazino also joining the HBO series.

Speaking about choosing Merced for the role, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann said: “Dina is warm, brilliant, wild, funny, moral, dangerous and instantly lovable." They continued: “You can search forever for an actor who effortlessly embodies all of those things, or you can find Isabela Merced right away. We couldn’t be prouder to have her join our family.”

So, who is Isabela Merced, what movies and TV shows might you know her from and why did she change her name? Here's everything you need to know about the latest edition to The Last of Us cast.

Who is Isabela Merced?

Isabela Yolanda Moner, who goes under the stage name Isabela Merced is an actor and singer who is best known for her role as CJ Martin on the Nickelodeon television series 100 Things to Do Before High School and for her role as Dora the Explorer in the live action film, Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

The 22-year-old Peruvian American actor first got into acting as a child after her Ohio home burnt down in a fire, with her parents putting her in for an audition for the Wizard of Oz as a distraction from the drama at home. She received her first big break when she was just 10 years old starring in the Broadway production of Evita.

In 2019, she announced in a post on Instagram that she was changing her stage name in loving memory to her maternal grandmother, Yolanda Merced Salazar. In an interview with Teen Vogue in March 2023 she explained: "This is when I begin writing my own story."

She continued: "Actor me is just a canvas. Anyone gets to put whatever paint they want on it, and I'll follow along. It is [also] my therapy, like it was from the day I started, when we had the fire.”

What is Isabela Merced net worth?

Isabela Merced has an estimated net worth of $3 million according to Celebz Living.

Where can I watch The Last of Us?

The Last of Us season 1 is currently available to watch in the UK on Sky Atlantic and NOWTV.

When is the release date for The Last of Us season 2?

There is no confirmed release date as of yet for the Last of Us season 2, filming is expected to begin in February 2024, with a tentative release date expected in early 2025.