Bella Ramsey Says The Last of Us Season 2 Set Amplified Their 'Autistic Traits' Due 'Atrocious' Challenges; Know More

Bella Ramsey has candidly talked about autism and intense shooting struggles during filming season 2 of The Last of Us and how it pushed them to the brink, particularly as an autistic actor.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview, Ramsey spoke of the physical and emotional struggles they experienced working on the popular HBO show, which also stars Pedro Pascal. The filming, which was done in cold and harsh outdoor environments, frequently found the 21-year-old actor struggling with wet, cold, and unruly conditions.

"Having to wear the waterproofs underneath my costume was absolutely atrocious. I’d have to make light of it on set because otherwise, I was going to go insane. We’d say, ‘Oh, I’m tweaking,'" Ramsey said.

Wearing waterproof equipment under their costume created an added layer of discomfort, Ramsey said, which made the experience harder to cope with on set. Several of these environmental stressors aggravated their sensory sensitivities, something many autistic people are familiar with.

According to People, Ramsey first publicly addressed their 'neurodivergence' and revealed their autism diagnosis in March 2024, while they were filming The Last of Us.

Ramsey further mentioned that tiredness profoundly affected their autistic characteristics, where weariness magnified the sensations more as work proceeded over multiple months. They stressed, "Being tired for me also always amplifies my autistic traits. That was a challenge as the months went on."

Ramsey reported feeling a pressure to remain positive and distract themselves when they were shooting. They also admitted that the discomfort was overpowering at times and that during lunch breaks, they found themselves needing to actually remove actual clothing layers simply in order to handle it.

Although they suspected for some years that they might be neurodivergent, it was the conversation with one of the crew members, aware of common symptoms, that motivated them to request an official assessment.

After being diagnosed, Bella Ramsey stated that they felt more self-accepting and understanding of themselves.

Catch all the latest episodes of The Last of Us season 2 on HBO and Max.

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