Bella Ramsey has been known to millions of people around the world since very early on in their life, when they played Lyanna Mormont on Game of Thrones. Ramsey was a complete scene-stealer as an iron-willed noblewoman capable of putting men five times her age in their place.
It ends up they were only getting started. Now 21, Ramsey plays Ellie, the only person alive known to be immune to a pathogen that's turned much of the rest of the world's population into zombies, on The Last of Us, another hugely successful HBO show that's about to air its second season. Castmates like Gabriel Luna (Tommy) agree that Ramsey carries the show on their shoulders, and Pedro Pascal — who plays Ellie's surrogate father Joel — calls Ramsey “a soul partner at work and in life.”
“[They’re] the most empathetic actor I’ve worked with,” Pascal told Vogue. “You have to be careful to not forget, at least then, that they are navigating an early chapter of work and of life, because you instantly feel under their care and understanding.”
Because Ramsey is so young and famous, they've gone through a lot of milestones on a huge world stage. They're private about their relationship, although they do say that they're “properly in love” for the first time, something that will be mirrored in Ellie's story on The Last of Us, which sees her falling for a woman named Dina (Isabel Merced). “Experiencing that while I was filming the show was really special," Ramsey said.
They're also talking more about getting diagnosed with autism, which happened while they were working on the first season of The Last of Us. A crew member who had an autistic daughter assumed that Ramsey had it too, which set Ramsey on a path with a formal psychiatric assessment. Ramsey, who grew up feeling like a "weirdo" and "loner" more comfortable around adults than kids their own age, said the diagnosis confirmed something they had “always wondered” about.
Reading the interview, it sounds like being able to talk about their autism is a relief for Ramsey. “My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person,” they said “There’s no reason for people not to know.” They also think it helps with their craft. "Having to learn more manually how to socialize and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting,” they said. “I have a call time, and I’m told what to wear, how to stand, where to stand and what to eat...[The diagnosis] enables me to walk through the world with more grace towards myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do.”
The Last of Us showrunners were right not to mind the Bella Ramsey backlash
There was actually some controversy when Ramsey was first announced to play Ellie, as fans didn't think they looked enough like the Ellie from the original video game. But co-showrunner Craig Mazin wasn't worried in the least. “I was at maximum justification on day one,” he told EL PAÍS. “Casting can be so difficult to do in ways that bring both the gaming audience together and people who are new to the story. It’s not about going down some easy paths where it’s, ‘oh, this person looks just like the video game character,’ but about who has the spirit and who will do the most beautiful and productive job performing this person and making you fall in love with them as a human being.”
History seems to have vindicated everyone's faith in Ramsey. If the huge viewership numbers for The Last of Us weren't enough, the flood of awards may be. “Bella’s peers have recognized them for the work they’ve done, whether it’s through Screen Actors, the Emmys, or the Golden Globes, same for Pedro, what else can you say?” asked Mazin. “If I could work with someone like Bella for the rest of my life, it would be heaven.”
We'll see what he's talking about when the second season of The Last of Us premieres on Sunday, April 13 on HBO and Max.
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