Young Mazino is gearing up for his The Last of Us role, which is sure to make him a household name.

The actor, who previously appeared as Paul Cho in season 1 of Netflix’s Beef, will be taking on the role of Jesse in the second season of HBO’s hit series.

“I never judged my character, but he’s a bit of a Boy Scout,” Mazino told Vanity Fair in March 2025. “He definitely tapped into the brighter, warmer side of myself because I think I’m by default a little darker than him spiritually.”

While he’s had a few major roles under his belt, the actor is still navigating this bout of fame.

“I’m still perplexed by everything,” he shared in the same interview. “I don’t know where this world is headed, but it seems to get more and more surreal.”

Keep scrolling for everything to know about Mazino:

Mazino’s parents, Korean immigrants, raised him in Silver Spring, Maryland. He stayed in the state for college, initially attending the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, before moving to New York City to attend the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

The actor was born Christopher Young Kim, as listed in some of his early acting credits. The reason for a stage name? When he initially registered with SAG-AFTRA, Mazino discovered that there were multiple actors with the name Christopher Kim. Young is his Korean name and Mazino comes from Urek Mazino, a character in the animated series Tower of God.