Bella Ramsey Non Binary: How It Helped Her Play Ellie In The Last Of Us

Bella Ramsey, star of HBO's The Last of Us, recently came out as non-binary. In a candid interview with The New York Times, Ramsey explored the notion of gender and what it meant to them growing up. Playing Ellie in The Last of Us has given Ramsey plenty of experience playing the badass preteen, but she's also used to far more feminine roles.
In this article, we'll explore how being non-binary helped Ramsey get into character as Ellie and what it means to them.

#1. Bella Ramsey's Experience Playing Ellie in The Last of Us

Source: Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

Playing Ellie in The Last of Us required Bella Ramsey to tap into her inner badass preteen. While Ramsey is comfortable with she/her pronouns, being non-binary helped her get into the character of Ellie. Ramsey wore a chest binder '90 percent' of the time while playing Ellie, which helped her focus on set and get into character. However, Ramsey emphasizes that binding can be dangerous if done improperly and should always be done safely.

READ MORE: The Last Of Us HBO Release Date – From Video Game To Movie

#2. Ramsey's Gender Identity

Source: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo

Ramsey's gender has always been fluid, and they've never felt entirely comfortable being labeled as a young woman or a powerful young woman. While playing more feminine characters like Catherine in Catherine Called Birdy and Lady Jane Grey in Becoming Elizabeth was fun, they're just characters. Ramsey feels more comfortable being recognized as gender-fluid and non-binary.

#3. Conversations on Set

Source: people.com

Ramsey's co-star, Pedro Pascal, whose sister came out as transgender in 2021, has been super supportive of Ramsey. During their time on set together, Ramsey and Pascal had plenty of conversations about gender and sexuality. These conversations ranged from deep and meaningful to funny and humorous.

#4. Backlash from The Last of Us Viewers

Source: HBO

The Last of Us received backlash from some viewers about the queer elements that were added to the show's storyline. However, Ramsey isn't anxious about it and believes that people will think what they want to think. Ramsey feels that if people don't want to watch the show because of its queer storylines or trans character, that's on them, and they're missing out.
Bella Ramsey's non-binary identity has played a significant role in her career as an actor, and playing Ellie in The Last of Us has given her the opportunity to tap into her inner badass preteen. Being non-binary has helped Ramsey get into character, and her conversations with co-star Pedro Pascal have been both meaningful and humorous. Ramsey's gender identity is fluid, and she feels more comfortable being recognized as gender-fluid and non-binary. The Last of Us has received backlash from some viewers about its queer storylines, but Ramsey believes that people will have to get used to it.

READ MORE: The Last of Us HBO: ‘Tendrils’ Change Explained

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