“The Last of Us” star reveals she has autism, which gives her a sense of “freedom and lightness”

Bella Ramsey’s behavior during the filming of the show’s first season caught the attention of a crew member whose daughter also has autism.

British actress Bella Ramsey, known for her role as Ellie in the HBO series “The Last of Us”, revealed that she was diagnosed with autism during the filming of the show’s first season. As reported by Variety magazine, the realization was sparked by a crew member whose daughter also has autism. She noticed traits in Ramsey similar to her daughter’s behavior, which prompted the actress to undergo an official psychiatric evaluation.

In an interview with British Vogue, Ramsey shared that she had always suspected she was neurodivergent, but until that moment had hesitated to speak about it openly. 

“I talked about neurodivergence a bit before, but for whatever reason didn’t want to specify what it was. I got diagnosed with autism while filming the first season of ‘The Last of Us’,” the actress shared. 

According to her, the experience turned out to be “freeing” and “lightening.” 

“It allows me to move through the world with a lot more grace towards myself, especially around mundane, everyday tasks that seemed easy for other people,” she added.

Ramsey also noted that her autism became an unexpected advantage in the acting profession. 

“I always had to learn how to observe people and understand how to interact with them. That helped me with acting,” she said.

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Image source: HBO