Bella Ramsey Reveals "Freeing" Autism Diagnosis

Bella Ramsey wears a black ski cap and jacket in a still from 'The Last of Us'. — Bella Ramsey in 'The Last of Us' HBO

As Bella Ramsey returns for Season 2 of The Last of Us, they’re opening up about their autism diagnosis for the first time.

The Golden Globe nominee, whose HBO show returns on April 13, recently revealed that they discovered their “freeing” diagnosis while filming Season 1 of The Last of Us after a crew member with a neurodivergent child noticed some familiar behaviors.

“I’ve spoken a bit about neurodivergence before, but I always for some reason didn’t want to… I felt like I didn’t want to say what it was… Shoot,” they told British Vogue. “I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming Season 1 of The Last of Us.”

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The crew member’s intervention led to Ramsey getting a formal diagnosis following a psychiatric assessment.

Ramsey said they “always wondered” about what made them feel out of place as a self-described “weirdo” and “loner,” as well as their sensory issues and hyperawareness of body language and micro-expressions, something that has actually helped them as an actor.

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

Meanwhile, the routine of acting on The Last of Us has been helpful for the young actor. “I have a call time, and I’m told what to wear, how to stand, where to stand and what to eat,” they explained.

The Catherine Called Birdy star said the diagnosis has been “freeing” and has “helped me to understand myself,” adding: “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.”

“My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person,” said Ramsey. “There’s no reason for people not to know.”

In addition to the sophomore season of The Last of Us, Ramsey can be seen in the movie Girl Next Door, in which they play British terror suspect Samantha Lewthwaite, aka the White Widow.