The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey claps back at trolls upset with LGBTQ+ storylines: ‘Get used to it’
Bella Ramsey. (HBO)
The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey is not scared of any anti-LGBTQ+ backlash to the series, with more queer storylines on the horizon.
The hit HBO series, based on the popular video game of the same name, has stirred outrage among some right-wingers for already featuring a tender gay love story in episode three.
The love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), is only the start for LGBTQ+ characters and plot lines – more are set to be explored in the upcoming second season, including Ramsey’s character, Ellie, getting into a lesbian relationship with fellow apocalypse survivor Dina.
In an interview with GQ, Ramsey shared that the fuss stirred up has not bothered her. And she sent a clear message to people such as conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, that they are shouting angrily into the void.
“I’m not particularly anxious about it,” she explained. “I know people will think what they want to think. But they’re gonna have to get used to it.
“If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you, and you’re missing out. It isn’t gonna make me afraid. I think that comes from a place of defiance.”
In fact, the star is looking forward to exploring Ellie’s sexuality, previously saying: “I’m really excited for the Ellie/Dina story.
“I’ve watched a cut together, someone’s made a phenomenal – I don’t know how they do it – like an amazing edit of just the gameplay, [about] Ellie and Dina’s love story. I’m excited to play that out.”
And Bella Ramsey is not the only LGBTQ+ character set to appear, with the next series possibly featuring trans teen character, Lev.
In the video games, Lev is voiced by trans actor Ian Alexander, who has said that he’d love to reprise the role in the live-action series. “My fingers are crossed,” he told Insider.
As for Ramsey, she has been open about her own gender-fluid journey in recent interviews, initially telling The New York Times: “Someone would call me ‘she’ or ‘her’ and I wouldn’t think about it, but I knew that if someone called me ‘he’ it was a bit exciting.
“Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.
“This is what bothers me more than pronouns: being called a young woman or a powerful young woman, young lady, but I’m just not [that],” she said.
And reflecting on previous projects, she added: “[For] Catherine Called Birdy, I was in dresses. [In] Becoming Elizabeth, I was in a corset. And I felt super powerful in that. Playing these more feminine characters is a chance to be something so opposite to myself and it’s really fun.”
Ramsey even opened up about her experiences of wearing a chest binder during filming for The Last of Us.
The Last of Us airs every Sunday at 9pm on HBO Max in the US and every Monday at 9pm on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
