Bella Ramsey, known for portraying Ellie in HBO’s acclaimed series The Last of Us, recently opened up about their experiences as an actor, their identity, and the character’s development in the show’s upcoming season. The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic America ravaged by a fungal disaster. It has been praised abundantly for its honest representation of queer relationships and its characters’ internal conflicts.
Ramsey’s undeniable impact on television is impressive and especially poignant at just 21 years of age. They were just 13 years old when they were cast in Game of Thrones, then the most popular television show on the planet. As they make the transition to a 19-year-old Ellie this season, they don’t shy away from the arc of their own journey. They teach us the value of being authentic.
Ramsey, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, they said they want to inspire others by sharing their story. “It was something that I didn’t really think about too much before,” Ramsey said. Beyond inciting powerful laughter, the personal testimony they’ve shared—opening up about living openly as Black queer people—has made them “a little freer,” they explained.
Ramsey’s character Ellie grapples with many complicated relationships over the course of the series, including a same-sex relationship with Dina. It’s this depiction of these relationships that rings true to Ramsey, who in recent interviews emphasized the need for authentic representation on our screens. That’s what The Last of Us does, I think, so beautifully with Ellie and Dina. They said that it doesn’t come across as just representation for representation’s sake, tacked on to meet a quota. Rather, it just seems like the perfect part of the story.
The Things actress shared her experience with an autism diagnosis. She accepted it when she was still working on the first season of The Last of Us. Ramsey strongly impressed upon us how important it is that we be transparent about neurodiversity in all aspects of the entertainment industry. “You can be in industries like this and openly say that you’re autistic,” they explained. “Why shouldn’t there be such a stigma around that and such a fear around that?”
Ramsey acknowledged that autism manifests differently in individuals, stating, “Autism comes in all different shapes and sizes, and I’m not someone that people would maybe typically see and go like ‘oh, you’re autistic’.” This point of view has guided the way that they have approached their own identity and their portrayal of the character of Ellie.
Ramsey looks back on their life with remarkable candor. At the age of 11, though, they devotedly chose to shatter the mold that came with the title of what it means to be a “normal” teenager. Their supportive relationship with their father impacted this determination. “So I never went through that with my dad. Me and my dad are great,” Ramsey shared.
Ramsey can hardly contain her excitement for The Last of Us season two. They are excited to explore Ellie again, this time from their own perspectives as women and with their own generational baggage. “It’s so fun getting to step back into a character but with kind of new revelations about her and about me in my own life,” they noted.
Ellie’s character development with The Last of Us continues to change. She’s a three-dimensional character because she wrestles with her feelings and struggles to understand her relationships. “The more that you grow up, you just realise how little you know, I think. I think that’s something that Ellie is discovering,” said Ramsey. Fans understand that Ellie’s fears and frustrations are warranted considering the world she lives in with Joel, her partner throughout the game and series. “It was kind of sad to do that with Ellie and Joel,” they admitted.
The positive critical reception of The Last of Us season two has led to its commissioning for a third season, signaling continued interest in both the storyline and its vibrant characters. While the viewers wait for new episodes to come out, Ramsey’s representation and advocacy strike a proverbial chord in our current age of storytelling.
Leave a Reply