For many of us, it may seem like Isabela Merced (born July 10, 2001) appeared out of nowhere on Season Two of ‘The Last of Us.’ But she’s been in television for a while. Let’s dive into the story of this new fan-favorite actor.
100 Things to Do Before High School
Though she had a few minor roles before it, Nickelodeon’s ‘100 Things to Do Before High School‘ was the first starring role for Isabela Merced (credited as Isabela Moner). As a young teen, she played the main character, CJ (Caroline June) Martin. The series ran for 25 episodes from 2014 to 2016. The series follows CJ and her best friends, Fenwick and Christian, in middle school as they try to complete a kind of bucket list of things to do before entering High School. This was all as a result of hearing that everything would change when that happened. As they work through each of their goals, they find that it’s always better with friends to help you along.
Transformers: The Last Knight
In 2017, Isabela Merced appeared in an installment of the Transformers franchise of movies as Izabella. She’s a scrappy survivor who’s ready to fight and help other kids escape from danger. In an interview, the young actor was enthusiastic and talked about how working with the other actors, like Anthony Hopkins and Mark Wahlberg, on the film was a good experience.
Dora the Explorer & More
Isabela Merced has been a voice actor, too! She worked on the series ‘Dora and Friends: Into the City!’ as the character Kate. But then, in 2019, she starred as Dora herself in the live-action movie Dora and the Lost City of Gold.’ Other voice work included the video game ‘Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue’ and ‘Spirit Untamed’ as the main character, Lucky. She’s appeared in other films including ‘Madame Web,’ and ‘Alien: Romulus.’
The Last of Us
We’ve only just been treated to the first episode of ‘The Last of Us‘ Season Two, and we’ve already been charmed by Ellie’s friend, Dina, played by Isabela Merced. With just this one episode to go on, we already know that Dina is the brains to Ellie’s brawn, and it looks like these two are going to be inseparable. Which makes us worry for Dina’s safety, to be honest. After all, this is a horror show.
Merced has done an incredible job portraying the new character, who is sure to be a fan favorite. She’s supportive of Ellie, and they’re clearly “partners in crime,” getting into trouble by taking chances they probably know they shouldn’t. It’s a relationship we’re looking forward to seeing continue. And casting Isabela Merced in the role was genius. She’s absolutely perfect. The chemistry was clear to see.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. ‘The Last of Us’ Season Two’s first episode is available now on HBO MAX. So, go watch it before you see too many spoilers!
