Beneath the post-apocalyptic veneer of HBO's 'The Last of Us,' actor Bella Ramsey found personal revelations that have profoundly impacted their life and career.
- March 21, 2025
AceShowbiz - Bella Ramsey opened up about autism diagnosis they received while filming the first season of HBO's "The Last of Us". In a new interview with British Vogue, the non-binary star described the revelation as "freeing."
The 21-year-old, who uses they/them pronouns, said the diagnosis allowed them to understand themselves better and approach daily tasks with more self-compassion.
"It 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," Ramsey explained.
Ramsey's journey towards this diagnosis began when a crew member, who had an autistic daughter, suspected that Ramsey might also be on the spectrum.
This suspicion led Ramsey to seek a psychiatric assessment, confirming something they had "always wondered" about due to their feelings of being an outsider at school and having sensory issues.
Often dealing with painful hyperawareness of people's micro-expressions, Ramsey said the diagnosis has enabled them to feel more relaxed and authentic in their daily interactions. "My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person. There's no reason for people not to know," they conveyed with clarity and conviction.
Interestingly, Ramsey finds their condition to be beneficial in their acting career. "I've always been watching and learning from people," they said. "Having to learn more manually how to socialize and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting."
Ramsey, who came out as nonbinary in 2023, is curious about aging as someone outside the gender binary. "I often get referred to as an old soul, which I like. I think getting old will be interesting, especially as someone outside of the gender binary. I'm kind of curious as to how that's gonna go."
In "The Last of Us," Ramsey plays Ellie, a young survivor navigating a devastated world. Their role has not only garnered critical acclaim but also led to Ramsey becoming the first non-binary actor to be nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series.
As for Season 2, which premieres on April 13 on HBO and Max, Ramsey hinted that Ellie's relationship with Joel (Pedro Pascal) evolves significantly. "[Joel and Ellie's] relationship has changed a little, and we start to see why," Ramsey teased. "They're not best of friends. She's quite sad. But I mean, there's a lot of layers to friendship."
