‘Last Of Us’ Star Bella Ramsey Says Being Autistic Made Them A Better Actor

Emmy-nominated star Bella Ramsey has revealed their autism diagnosis and why they chose to share it with the public.

In a conversation with British Vogue published, Ramsey, who is non-binary, explained that they were diagnosed with autism while they were filming the first season of HBO’s drama The Last of Us, which was filmed from July 2021 to June 2022. They were alerted to the possibility when a crew member remarked that Ramsey had similar traits to their own neurodivergent child. The observation led Ramsey to examine the possibility and seek a formal diagnosis.

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Ramsey described how the psychiatric assessment they underwent clarified a lot of questions they had growing up, including why they had a hard time at school and multiple sensory issues.

“The label of being autistic has been so helpful to me because that’s helped me to understand myself,” Ramsey said.

However, Ramsey noted that regarding gender and sexuality, “Labels do not feel comfy for me in any capacity, because I feel like I’m putting myself in a box. I feel trapped.”

Their autism diagnosis, on the other hand, “Enables me to walk through the world with more grace toward myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do.”

Ramsey speculated that their “painful hyperawareness of other people’s micro-expressions and body language” has made them a more intuitive actor. “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 with acting.”

Asked about their decision to share their diagnosis with the public, Ramsey said they felt they were able to “unmask immediately” as soon as the information was out. “My experience of moving through the world as an autistic person; there’s no reason for people not to know.”

At Monday’s red carpet premiere for the second season of The Last of Us, Ramsey said, “It didn’t feel like this big decision that I was gonna tell people about it…I found out about it, and it informs my everyday and helps me understand myself.”

In a 2023 interview with The Independent, Ramsey said, “I wouldn’t be an actor if it wasn’t for my neurodivergence. It’s just a part of me and it’s incredibly helpful in terms of acting. One of my things is that I have insane levels of visual perception compared to all the other things. I’ve been watching people and absorbing everything since I was really young.”