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Who Plays Ellie in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’? Bella Ramsey Is Becoming a Major Star
She’s making a name for herself! Game of Thrones fans may know Bella Ramsey as Lady Lyanna Mormont, but the British star is about to be known as Ellie from The Last of Us.
Based on the video game of the same name, the HBO series is set to premiere the highly anticipated series on January 15, with Bella, 19, in the main female role alongside Pedro Pascal as Joel. The network’s official logline teases that The Last of Us takes place after “modern civilization has been destroyed” and Joel is hired to “smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone.” While working in close quarters together, the two actors formed a father-daughter relationship akin to their characters.
“I’m pretty attached [to him],” she joked during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in January 2023, when discussing her and Pedro’s similar (spoiler alert) death scenes in Game of Thrones. “I’m probably unhealthily attached to him.”
With her connection to some major HBO shows, it’s clear that Bella is killing it in her career. Keep reading for more details on the actress.
Where Is Bella Ramsey From?
The His Dark Materials star is originally from Nottingham, England, and her first-ever role was in Game of Thrones.
Bella Ramsey’s Roles
Other than Game of Thrones, the star has also appeared in various HBO shows, including His Dark Materials, before nabbing the starring role in The Last of Us.
What Has Bella Ramsey Said About Working With Pedro Pascal?
The first time the costars met was in June 2021. Bella remembered it as a “very brief and special” moment.
“We got on but were shy of each other because of how much was riding on our relationship,” she told The New York Times in January 2011. “We got to know each other as Joel and Ellie got to know each other.”
Bella Ramsey Responds to ‘The Last of Us’ Casting Hate
Fans of the video game had a lot to say after she was cast at 17 — and the HBO star read it all.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever had a negative reaction to something,” the Catherine Called Birdy star recalled. “There would be times I’d find it funny. Then I’d get to the end of a 10-minute scrolling session, put my phone down and realize: Maybe that was a bad idea.”
Bella Ramsey on Gender Identity
“I guess my gender has always been very fluid,” she explained to The New York Times, noting that “nonbinary” is the option she’ll mark off if it’s available. “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.”
Bella added, “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.”
