Bella Ramsey is no stranger to the limelight. They have been on the scene since they were 11 years old, initially portraying the small-but-mighty Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones. Now, they have taken a step further into the limelight as the not-quite-as-small and definitely mightier Ellie Williams in HBO’s The Last of US, which is currently rolling out its second season for those with a Max subscription. Unlike Ellie, Bella was a bit more fearful diving into fame than their character was when taking on the infected in this video game adaptation.
The Last of Us Season 1 put Bella front and center in ways they weren’t expecting, but I was surprised to find out they were "terrified" before the drama hit the TV schedule. They had a chance to sit down with their former GOT castmate Kit Harington who asked Ramsey for Interview Magazine what they thought about “all the stuff around" the show, and they admitted they were "terrified of signing on," just not for the reason I might have guessed.
I was so terrified of signing on to The Last of Us and the idea of reaching a level of fame that doesn’t go away, not being able to backtrack from that. But I realize now that actually, you reach this level of fame that stays for a few months while the show’s coming out, and then it does sort of die off. If you don’t do anything to maintain that level of fame, the world moves on, which I’m so grateful for.
Yeah, OK when I think of The Last of Us Terror I'm definitely think of the horror elements that have made the show such a popular watch.
Having said this, I'd imagine the feeling might be akin to what Kaitlyn Dever, who portrays Abby this season, feels when the infected hordes pop out of the snow in Season 2, Episode 2. You are standing there and see a wave of people rushing towards you, and all you want to do is get away from them as fast as you can, but they just keep coming.
Ramsey may catch a bit of a reprieve from the hordes once this season dies down, (although Harington has even been a culprit of this in the past), but the circus will likely start up again as Season 3 gets off the ground.
To also note, Bella always knew that The Last of Us would make them the ringleader. Here’s what they had to say about joining the circus:
I knew that I was going to be introduced to the circus around big TV shows and films with The Last of Us. I never really had that experience before. I always managed to be in stuff not quite enough to have to do all the press. But now, I feel like it came at a time at which I was prepared to deal with it. I mean, I sort of dread it all, but this time around I feel like I really know what it is and care about it a lot less than I did the first season.
Taking on an iconic role like Ellie was always going to thrust whomever was going to portray her into the spotlight because co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have created such a beautiful, heartbreaking, and lived-in world so adeptly. You cannot help but fall in love with Ellie and in turn the person who plays her --whether that is Bella Ramsey’s interpretation in the show or Ashley Johnson’s portrayal in the game.
From my perspective, Bella seems to be handling all the press with openness, delight, and a playful energy. I am sure having Pedro Pascal by their side doesn’t hurt. If they are still scared at all, they seem to be hiding it well. But if you would like to see them truly terrified, make sure to watch new episodes of The Last of Us on HBO every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.
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