Despite rocketing into stardom with their role as Ellie in HBO’sThe Last of Us, Bella Ramsey had a tough time getting acting roles in the years leading up to their big break. Those familiar with their stellar performance abilities will likely be shocked at this news, but the reason behind it has nothing to do with talent.Ramsey, who is non-binary and has no preference for pronouns, arguably got their breakout part when they starred as Lyanna Mormont ina memorable role onGame of ThronesalongsideThe Last of Usco-star Pedro Pascal. But it’s difficult to deny that their performance as Ellie in the latter has turned them into a much more prominent figure than they likely would have been with only the previous role under their belt. However, all that could have been a figment if Ramsey hadn’t powered through some unfortunate hurdles earlier in their career.RELATED:The Last Of Us HBO: 5 Best Movies & Series Starring Bella RamseyIn an interview recently rediscovered by Twitter user@sourkettle, Ramsey spoke about a previous audition where they were ultimately turned down because of their appearance, despite the director seemingly admitting they were a good fit for the role. “I was told in one of my first auditions ever that the director really liked me, but I didn’t get the part because I didn’t have the ‘Hollywood look,'” Ramsey said. “And that’s something that I’ve always found very interesting.” Subsequently, it seemsGame of ThronesandThe Last of Ushave effectively disproved the importance of those ideas.
Luckily, Ramsey kept pushing forward and made a name for themself despite such arbitrary insistences from those in charge, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped making similarly unfair observations. A small but unfortunately loud minority ofThe Last of Usfanshave been pushing back against Ramsey’s casting due to their appearance ever since they were first announced for the series. This came from comments notably pointing out how different they looked compared to Ellie’s in-game model from Naughty Dog’s originalThe Last of Usgame, but unfortunately vocalizing such thoughts in far less than constructive ways. In a recent interview withGQ, Ramsey briefly spoke about how it affected them. “You’re looking for a comment that’s more painful than the last one,” they said, referring to how they would actively look for toxic posts and comments from fans. “I’d kid myself that I was doing it in jest.”
In addition to Ramsey having the willpower and strength to keep going through it all, they’ve had plenty of support. This includes legions of fans and even Pascal, who supported Ramsey as a co-star and a friend. That support extended to Ramsey being non-binary, which seemed to become a bonding subject for them, likely helped byPascal having a trans sister. Ramsey went on in the interview to speak about their conversations with Pascal about gender and similar topics. “And they weren’t always deep: they could be funny and humorous, the whole spectrum. We were just very honest and open with each other.”
Ramsey’s journey so far seemingly proves the importance of a good support system and plenty of healthy self-assurance. Ramsey wouldn’t have gotten where they are today if they’d just taken the narrow-minded casting people at their word, and fans would have been deprived of one of the most endearing performances in recent years. Here’s hoping Ramsey enjoys a long and prosperous career. They’ve more than earned it.
The Last of Usseason 1 is available to stream on HBO Max.
