Bella Ramsey Calls Autism Diagnosis ‘Liberating’ After The Last of Us Crew Member Recognized Signs

Bella Ramsey revealed they were diagnosed with autism while filming The Last of Us Season 1, calling the experience "liberating" after years of wondering if they were on the spectrum.

Written by Sakina Kaukawala , Entertainment Journalist

Updated on Mar 21, 2025 | 07:05 AM GMT | 4K

Bella Ramsey (via Getty Images)

Bella Ramsey, known for playing Ellie in The Last of Us, recently shared that they were diagnosed with autism while filming the first season of the HBO series. In an interview with British Vogue published on March 19, the actor said the diagnosis was a major moment of self-discovery.

“I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of The Last of Us,” Ramsey said. They described learning about their diagnosis as liberating and freeing, 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.”

Bella Ramsey had long suspected they might be on the autism spectrum, often feeling like a 'weirdo' and a 'loner' while growing up. However, it was a crew member on The Last of Us who first brought up the possibility.

According to Ramsey, a crew member with an autistic daughter noticed similar traits in them and suggested that they might be on the spectrum.

This observation led Ramsey to seek a formal psychiatric assessment, which confirmed their autism diagnosis. They shared that they experienced the world as an autistic person and saw no reason to keep it private.

Ramsey discussed how being autistic has influenced their acting, stating that learning social interactions manually has been an advantage in their work. They mentioned that they have always observed and learned from people, and this process of consciously understanding social interactions has helped them with acting.

Additionally, they shared that they experience sensory issues, including a heightened awareness of people’s micro-expressions and body language, which they find both challenging and beneficial in their profession.

Ramsey mentioned that working on set helps bring structure to their daily life, which can be especially beneficial for autistic individuals.

They stated that having a set call time and being given instructions on what to wear, how to stand, where to stand, and what to eat provides a sense of clarity and guidance. Ramsey is set to reprise their role as Ellie in The Last of Us Season 2, which premieres on April 13 on HBO.