The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has said fans of the franchise made fun of her looks when she was cast, saying she can't help but feel ‘affected’ by such cruel comments.
Ramsey, 19, starred as Ellie in the first series of the hit HBO series, which came to a dramatic end earlier this month.
She and co-star Pedro Pascal instantly became two of the biggest names in TV as viewers became gripped by their adventure across a post-apocalyptic United States.
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But Ramsey – who identifies as non-binary but doesn’t mind which pronouns are used, and doesn’t mind being referred to as ‘she/her’ – has revealed she faced hateful reaction online after her casting was announced.
Speaking to GQ, she said ‘everyone’ made fun of her ‘square head’, and it didn’t take long for her to become addicted to scrolling through the hate.
Ramsey said: "You’re looking for a comment that’s more painful than the last one. I’d kid myself that I was doing it in jest."
The actor, who previously starred in Game of Thrones, said the comments still have a negative impact on her, continuing: "I wish I could say that I was confident enough [already] that it hasn’t affected me in any way, but it has."
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In spite of the reaction from others, Ramsey said she’s proud of her portrayal of Ellie, saying she feels ‘glad’ she could bring the character for life for the show.
“I want to do her justice,” she added.
When it came to filming the series – which is an adaptation by the Naughty Dog game of the same name – Ramsey said her experience could not have been better, saying she’s now got two new father figures in the form of Pascal and showrunner Craig Mazin.
"I love it so much,” she said. “And the people: Craig, Pedro. I want to spend all my time with them. I’ve gained two fathers, in a way."
The series was renewed for a second instalment in January with Neil Druckmann – writer and creative director of the game – saying he felt ‘humbled, honored and frankly overwhelmed’ that so many people had tuned in and connected with their retelling of the story.
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Druckmann later confirmed Ramsey would hopefully be returning as Ellie, saying the only reason they would ever consider recasting would be if she simply didn’t want to do it anymore.
However, it sounds like Ramsey’s keen to stay on board, teasing to GQ that she would love nothing more than to carry on for years to come.
“Signing on to a series is such a risk, because if I hate this, then I’m potentially tied into it for years,” she said.
“I didn’t want to be tied into something I didn’t enjoy. But I would honestly do this for years."
Featured Image Credit: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo / HBOTopics: TV And Film, Celebrity