Merle Dandridge — the actor who plays Marlene in The Last of Us video game and the new HBO series — has a recognizable last name. And it has many wondering if she is related to Hollywood icon, Dorothy Dandridge.
Merle Dandridge plays Marlene in ‘The Last of Us’ show and video game
HBO’s The Last of Us is a sci-fi drama based on the popular 2013 Naughty Dog video game of the same name. The show follows the story of the game, introducing a post-apocalyptic world in which a mutated fungus has infected most of the human race, turning nearly everyone into a zombie.
The story centers on Joel and Ellie, two unlikely companions who set out to find Ellie a safe haven while navigating the zombie-infested world. On their quest, the duo also faces the threat of scavengers and survivors, as well as their ruthless governing body, Fedra.
To enhance the game’s storyline for TV, the series dives deep into each character’s past and relationships. It also offers insight into their struggles, explaining more of the reasoning behind their emotions and actions.
The Last of Us cast features The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal as Joel and Game of Thrones star Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Dandridge portrays Marlene, a leader of a freedom-fighting group called the Fireflies.
Marlene is the first to discover that Ellie may be the key to finding a cure. And when she’s injured, Marlene asks Joel to safely deliver Ellie to a lab that can help harness her immunity.
Dandridge has been a part of The Last of Us franchise for 10 years. She voiced Marlene in the 2013 video game and its 2020 sequel, The Last of Us Part II.
Is Merle Dandridge related to Dorothy Dandridge?
Dandridge is an accomplished actor who started her career in the mid-’90s. She’s appeared in dozens of popular projects, including Sons of Anarchy, Newsroom, The Flight Attendant, and Station 19.
With her decades of experience in Hollywood and her recognizable surname, many may think she’s related to famed American actor Dorothy Dandridge. But Merle is not related to Dorothy at all.
Merle was born in Okinawa, Japan to an American military father and an Asian mother. “My father’s family [members] are big Memphis church folks,” she told the Center for Asian American Media. The Dandridges are heavily involved in the church there. I like to say it is my spiritual heritage. I was raised in Nebraska.”
“My mother is half Japanese and [half] Korean,” she added. “And I have older siblings who are mostly Korean, 1/4 Japanese, because of my mom’s first marriage to a Korean man. I was born in Okinawa but most of my time in Asia was in Seoul.”
Merle Dandridge reveals what surprised her about ‘The Last of Us’ series
Dandridge has been playing Marlene for a decade. And speaking about the differences between the HBO show and the video game, the actor noted her surprise at how compelling the series turned out.
“It is more of the specific kind of pull at the heartstrings that only this world can do,” Dandridge told Screen Rant. “To see some of the characters in new scenarios that break your heart even more deeply for them is something that I don’t know that people thought was even possible.”
“So, to get that opportunity and to know that with the hands of these creators and these artists, that there really isn’t a limit to how much more you’re going to get out of this world,” she continued. “It kind of makes you feel like every day’s Christmas.”
New episodes of The Last of Us air Sundays on HBO.
