Bella Ramsey has talked about how being non-binary has helped them play Ellie in The Last of Us.
The 19-year-old made a name for themselves in the hit HBO show Game of Thrones as Lyanna Mormont.
They are now in one of the most talked-about TV shows in the world, The Last of Us, which is based on one of the best-reviewed video games of all time.
Bella Ramsey has now talked about how their real-life experiences have helped them do their job on the show.
Watch the “The Last Of Us” trailer below.
Bella Ramsey came out as gender fluid in an interview with The New York Times. They said it’s “exciting” when someone calls them “he,” but they “couldn’t care less” if people call them male or female.
They explain to the publisher:
I guess my gender has always been very fluid.
Someone would call me ‘she’ or ‘her’ and I wouldn’t think about it, but I knew that if someone called me ‘he’ it was a bit exciting.
I’m very much just a person.
Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.
Bella Ramsey has played tough, rebellious female teen characters before, which they call “really fun.” The star of “The Last of Us” isn’t bothered by it because they think these people are just “characters.”
They said:
This is what bothers me more than pronouns: being called a ‘young woman’ or a ‘powerful young woman’, ‘young lady,’ but I’m just not [that].
Catherine Called Birdy, I was in dresses. Young Elizabeth, I was in a corset. And I felt super powerful in that.
Playing these more feminine characters is a chance to be something so opposite to myself, and it’s really fun.
Bella Ramsey also said that they wore a chest binder for about 90% of the time they were filming The Last of Us.
They know it wasn’t the best thing for their health, as Ramsey says:
Which probably isn’t healthy, like please bind safely.
A chest binder is used to make a person’s breasts and chest look flatter.
In an interview with a patient.info, Mr. Paul Banwell, a consultant in plastic and cosmetic surgery, explains:
The safest way to bind the chest is with a binder designed for that purpose, whether it’s a sports bra or chest binder.
The general advice is that you shouldn’t wear a chest binder for more than eight consecutive hours – otherwise, you may experience back pain, breathing problems and other side effects.
The star of “Game of Thrones” also talks about how co-star Pedro Pascal was honest with Bella Ramsey about their gender on set.
Pascal, whose sister is trans, would talk to Ramsey about gender and sexuality in a “really supportive” way.
They add:
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.
