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Who Is Isabela Merced? The Peruvian-American Star Behind Dina
The second season of The Last of Us is already here, and one of the major new characters who joined the cast is Dina, portrayed by Isabela Merced. If you’re into video games, you probably know Dina is a big deal in the story. But if you’re catching up via the HBO series, there’s a lot to learn, not just about Dina, but also about the actor bringing her to life. Isabela Merced’s journey began far from the post-apocalyptic realm of The Last of Us, yet it’s all been leading up to this for years.
Isabela Merced was born Isabela Yolanda Moner Pizarro in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2001. Her mom hails from Lima, Peru, while her dad’s roots are in Louisiana. Spanish was her first language, and she admitted she had a tough time with English when she first started school. Even after living in the U.S. for several years, she still considers herself more Peruvian than American, a perspective that influences the projects she picks and the way she presents herself in the public eye.
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Her journey into acting began when her family’s home in Ohio caught fire. To lift her spirits, her parents encouraged her to audition for a local theater production of The Wizard of Oz. She landed the role of a munchkin, and that’s where it all clicked. By the age of ten, she was on Broadway in Evita, performing in Spanish alongside Ricky Martin. This opened the door to auditions in New York and, eventually, to opportunities in Hollywood.
Her first big break came with the Nickelodeon show “100 Things to Do Before High School,” where she played the lead from 2014 to 2016. From there, she moved into movies, landing roles in “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017), “Instant Family” (2018), and “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” (2018). In 2019, she starred as Dora in “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” a live-action version of the iconic kids’ character that helped boost her visibility even further.
Over the past few years, Merced has been expanding her career in various directions. She landed a leading role in Sweet Girl (2021), stepped into the Sony-Marvel universe with Madame Web (2024) as Anya Corazon, and appeared in Turtles All the Way Down and Alien: Romulus in the same year. She’s also on track to star in Superman (2025) as the superhero Hawkgirl.
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Beyond acting, she’s been growing her music career. In 2015, she dropped an album called Stopping Time and later teamed up with Republic Records. Her single “Papi” came out in 2019, followed by an EP titled The Better Half of Me in 2020. One of her songs, “Agonía,” is inspired by a Peruvian folktale, highlighting her connection to Latin American storytelling and culture.
In 2019, she announced she was changing her stage name from Isabela Moner to Isabela Merced in honor of her late grandmother. Although her legal name remains the same, she uses Merced professionally as a tribute and a way to reflect her roots. She still visits Peru often, usually during the holidays, and makes a point to stay close to her family, including her Aunt Gloria. Now, at 23, Isabela Merced is bringing all of that experience into one of the biggest shows on TV.
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Playing Dina in “The Last of Us” Season 2
Merced’s upcoming role is Dina in the second season of The Last of Us, the HBO series inspired by the award-winning video game. Dina is introduced as a member of the Jackson community, where Ellie lives with Tommy and Joel. She’s strong, direct, and not afraid to get involved in a conflict when necessary, but she also adds something unique to the story: stability.
In the game, Dina becomes Ellie’s love interest, and their relationship plays a significant part in the emotional journey of the second installment. Through Dina, Ellie starts to open up, confront her trauma, and find a semblance of hope in a world that’s largely devoid of it. Dina is more than just a romantic character: she’s a survivor who can fight and remain grounded, even when chaos is unfolding all around her.
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Season 2 will delve deeper into that relationship, and Isabela Merced’s portrayal of Dina will carry significant emotional weight. Her scenes with Ellie are shaping the season’s tone, especially as the series ventures into darker, more complex narratives. For Merced, it’s an exciting new phase in a career that’s already spanned various genres and platforms.
Isabela Merced didn’t just pop up in Hollywood: she’s been gearing up for this breakthrough for years. From Broadway stages to Nickelodeon to action movies, she’s built a career shaped by versatility, language, and identity. Her role in The Last of Us once again places her in front of a worldwide audience, this time in one of modern TV’s most emotionally charged narratives.
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