Bella Ramsey’s autism diagnosis became a topic of discussion after the actor candidly shared their experience while filming The Last of Us. The HBO star, known for portraying Ellie, revealed how receiving the diagnosis was a “freeing” moment. Moreover, they shared how this helped them understand themselves better.
Here’s everything Bella Ramsey shared about their autism diagnosis and how it shaped their perspective.
What did Bella Ramsey say about autism diagnosis?
In an interview with British Vogue, Bella Ramsey revealed the details about their autism diagnosis. They shared that it came during the filming of The Last of Us Season 1.
Ramsey explained that a crew member with an autistic daughter assumed that they had autism. This inspired them to seek a professional evaluation and guidance which confirmed what the actor had “always wondered.” During their school years, Ramsey had always felt out of place and described themselves as a “weirdo” and “loner.” Also, they frequently struggle with sensory — common traits in autism.
Ramsey proudly stated that their autism actually helps their artistic prowess rather than hinders it. “I’ve always been watching and learning from people. Having to learn more manually how to socialize and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting,” they stated.
Later in the interview, Ramsey drew a comparison between their coming out as non-binary and sharing their autism diagnosis. Speaking about their gender and sexuality, Ramsey stated, “I don’t know and I’m not ready to talk about that, and that’s something that I’m still figuring out.” On the other hand, Ramsey states that opening up about their autism diagnosis had been very helpful. “The label of being autistic has been so helpful to me because that’s helped me to understand myself, but gender and sexuality-wise, labels do not feel comfy for me in any capacity, because I feel like I’m putting myself into a box. I feel trapped.”
Ramsey believes it unlocks a sense of confidence when they talk about their autism freely and are able to “unmask immediately” to a person when they reveal their condition. They valiantly stated, “My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person. There’s no reason for people not to know.”
Bella Ramsey is all set to return as Ellie in the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us. The much-awaited sophomore season of the popular post-apocalyptic drama is slated to come out on April 13, 2025.
