The Last of Us’ Bella Ramsey on her friendship with Pedro Pascal: ‘Imagine if it was all fake?’
Bella Ramsey gushed adorably about her friendship with The Last of Us co-star and internet daddy Pedro Pascal on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show.
On Saturday night (18 March), Bella described Pascal, who plays Joel in The Last of Us, as the “chief gum hider” and said she’d learned to conceal that she was chewing gum from him.
Of their friendship, the actor who portrays Ellie, said: “It’s very real. Imagine if it was all fake? That would be rough” to which the Jonathan Ross quipped “that would be acting”.
“I love him. I miss him,” Bella continued. “He’s in Los Angeles living his best life. Mandolorian has just come out so he’s really busy. We were both on Game of Thrones but in different seasons.”
Bella Ramsey was joined on The Jonathan Ross Show by Taken star Liam Neeson, comedian and Unforgivable host Mel Giedroyc, comedian Munya Chawawa and singer Lady Blackbird.
Bella wore a whimsical grey suit with shorts by American designer Thom Browne. The suit jacket was patterned with patches of striped, lighter grey in the shape of whales. Knee-high grey socks and glasses by British brand Black Eyewear completed the look.
Jonathan Ross praised her outfit as “the best we’ve ever had on the show”.
Fans of The Last of Us, however, won’t be thrilled by the news that we’ve got a considerable wait before season two of the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic video game adaptation graces our screens.
Ramsey said: “It will be a while. I think we’ll probably shoot at the end of this year, beginning of next. So it’ll probably be the end of 2024, early 2025.”
Jonathan Ross asked Ramsey about her scene-stealing breakout role in Game of Thrones, as Lyanna Mormont, the Lady of Bear Island and whether she had watched the HBO fantasy drama series.
She replied: “No, I was far too little. We weren’t a family who grew up watching TV. My older sister had heard of it and knew what it was but no I’d never seen it.
“I watched Horrid Henry and Come Dine With Me – I was obsessed with Come Dine With Me when I was 8 years old.”
Sadly, Ross did not ask Bella what her favourite cringe Come Dine With Me moment is – perhaps the iconic scene where a contestant, apropos of nothing, puts a (very large) whisk coated in chocolate in his mouth?
On getting recognised in public, Bella described the phenomenon as “very overwhelming”. “It’s more consistent, it’s more like every time I go out now. Some people have panic attacks!
“I’d find it overwhelming seeing someone I knew on the street. People are very sweet most of the time. I’ve not really had any bad experiences yet.”
She described awkward moments with fans with gentle humour, such as the first time she was recognised “waiting in line for the toilet at St Pancras station”, and when someone spots her eating soup in Pret a Manger.
This sparked a cute exchange with Mel Giedroyc over what the very best Pret soup is, with Mel extolling the virtues of the sandwich and coffee chain’s chicken soup with brown rice. Bella swiftly pointed out that she’s a vegan, and doesn’t choose that flavour.
Mel Giedroyc says she ‘literally couldn’t deal’ with The Last of Us
Mel confessed that she didn’t actually watch more than a single episode of The Last of Us, because it was too scary.
“I watched episode one and I had to go into the office and sleep in the single bed on my own to deal with the fear. I couldn’t be in the bed with my husband in case he turned into a flesh-eating zombie. I literally couldn’t deal with it.”
Cue a discussion about the reality of cordyceps, the fungus that essentially breaks the world in The Last of Us, and whether such a dystopian scenario could actually happen, which probably did little for Mel’s fear levels.
Mel also revealed that she will be involved with the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, held between 9 and 13 May.
Mel said: “I’ll be in the commentary box. I’m not going to be doing it 100 per cent because Graham Norton is going to be presenting on stage and then bobbing between the box and the stage.”
Mel added: “I’m obsessed. It’s so good. It’s going to be so brilliant this year. We’re in Liverpool and we’re hosting on behalf of Ukraine – it’s going to be very poignant and very powerful. We’ve got a great UK entry in Mae Muller – I love her.”