Cast of The Last of Us needing breather (5)
I believe the answer is:
slung
'cast' is the definition.
(I've seen this in another clue)
'last of us needing breather' is the wordplay.
'last of' suggests the final letters.
'needing' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'breather' becomes 'lung' (you breathe with your lungs).
The final letter of 'us' is 's'.
's'+'lung'='SLUNG'
'of the' is the link.
(Other definitions for slung that I've seen before include "Thrown; suspended loosely" , "Hurled" , "Threw out" .)