Eugene may have only been briefly mentioned in The Last of Us Part II video game, but the HBO adaptation brings his story to the forefront. In Season 2, he’s given a more developed backstory and stronger ties to key characters like Joel and Gail. His death—and the emotional fallout it triggers—is already shaping tensions in Jackson and offering a deeper look at life in the post-outbreak world.
Find out more about the actor behind Eugene and how his storyline unfolds in the series below.
Eugene, portrayed by Joe Pantoliano, is a former Firefly and skilled marijuana cultivator. In the HBO series, he is depicted as Gail’s husband and a resident of Jackson. While Eugene is mentioned in the video game The Last of Us Part II, he never appears on-screen.
Pantoliano, an Emmy-winning actor, is known for his roles in The Sopranos, The Matrix, Memento, and the Bad Boys franchise.
Catherine O’Hara plays Gail, a therapist in Jackson, Wyoming, and the widow of Eugene. In a conversation with Dina, Joel reveals he’s been seeing a therapist to help mend his strained relationship with Ellie. That therapist is Gail, who offers support while harboring quiet resentment toward Joel for killing her husband. Gail is an original character created for the HBO series and does not appear in the video game.
O’Hara is best known for her iconic roles in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and the Emmy-winning comedy series Schitt’s Creek.
As previously mentioned, the HBO adaptation takes a different approach to Eugene’s fate. In the series, he is killed by Joel under circumstances that remain somewhat unclear. Gail acknowledges that Joel “had no choice,” suggesting Eugene may have been infected, but she still carries deep resentment over how it happened.
