"It enables me to walk through the world with more grace": Bella Ramsey opens up about the life-changing autism diagnosis on The Last of Us set

The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has opened up about their autism diagnosis in a British Vogue article published on March 19, 2025. They were on the set of The Last of Us season 2 when they were made aware of the possibility that they had it.

For Ramsey, the diagnosis is liberating. They explained:

"It enables me to walk through the world with more grace towards myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do."

As stated in the article, during the shooting in Canada, a crew member who had an autistic daughter assumed that Ramsey was also autistic. A formal psychiatric assessment and diagnosis later confirmed it. Whether or not they were autistic was something Ramsey had "always wondered".

The aforementioned article details how Ramsey felt out of place in school and was more comfortable around adults than their adolescent peers. The article also provides additional clues about their autism, stating:

"There were other hints too: sensory issues common to people on the autism spectrum and their painful hyperawareness of other people’s micro-expressions and body language."

In addition to this, being uncomfortable with wearing heavy waterproofs and thermals during shooting in the cold outdoors of Canada was also a hint about Ramsey's autism.

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Bella Ramsey claims autism improves their acting skills

Bella Ramsey at The Gothams 34th Annual Film Awards (Image via Getty)

Bella Ramsey played the lead role of Ellie in the HBO survival thriller show The Last of Us. Based on the eponymous video game, the show turned out to be an instant hit upon its release in 2023, and Ramsey's performance was one for the history books.

However, this was not the first time Bella Ramsey had appeared in a hit show, or an HBO show. In fact, they had first gained recognition for their portrayal of Lyanna Mormont in the HBO fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones.

Speaking of their autism to British Vogue, Bella Ramsey revealed that it had helped them hone their acting skills. They said:

"I’ve always been watching and learning from people. Having to learn more manually how to socialise and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting."

According to Bella Ramsey, even staying on set is no inconvenience because it gives them a routine. They said:

"I have a call time, and I’m told what to wear, how to stand, where to stand and what to eat."

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Bella Ramsey on having to be the subject of public scrutiny

In the interview mentioned above, Bella Ramsey, who came out as non-binary in 2023, also opened up about the public scrutiny they face as actors. They said:

"It does make me a bit sad that people who aren’t in the public eye can explore their gender identity or s**uality in private. That’s a privilege I don’t really get any more. If I did want to explore other things, like facets of my gender identity, that would be done publicly."

Ramsey does not feel the same way about their autism diagnosis. This revelation about their diagnosis was borne out of the self-confidence and ease that comes from letting the mask of being like others fall off.

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The Last of Us season 2 is set to premiere on April 13, 2025.