‘Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like’
Bella Ramsey, the star of The Last of Us, has come out as non-binary and gender fluid in a recent interview. The 19-year-old plays Ellie Williams in the much-anticipated HBO Max series, which is a live-action adaptation of the critically-acclaimed 2013 video game of the same name.
The series hit screens last night to rave reviews and has been labelled by many as the best adaptation of a video game for television ever.
But speaking to the New York Times ahead of the show’s premiere, Ramsey admitted that the backlash against their casting had caused them to question whether they were good enough or not.
They told the publication: “It’s only recently that I’ve accepted I am Ellie, and I can do it, and I am a good actor.
“But this will last for a few weeks and then I’ll think I’m terrible again. That’s just the process.”
The English actor’s performance in comedy film Catherine Called Birdy earned them a nomination for Best Young Performer at the Critics Choice Awards.
When asked about the non-gender-specific denotation of the award, Ramsey explained the significance of this to someone like themselves who doesn’t align with traditional gender norms.
“I guess my gender has always been very fluid,” they said, adding that they’re a non binary individual. “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.
“I’m very much just a person. Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.”
In a post on Instagram, the actor thanked the New York Times for creating a “safe space where I could be myself.”
A number of awards shows across the world of entertainment have introduced non-gender specific categories in recent years.
The Brit Awards introduced gender-neutral categories for the first time last year, giving out a single award for Best Artist instead of for Best Male and Best Female.
However, the awards have come under fire this year after only men were nominated in the Best Artist category ahead of the 2023 awards.
Related links.
- The Last Of Us Episode One features an absolutely perfect needle drop
- The Last Of Us is a savage, beautiful, terrifying masterpiece
- New trailer for The Last of Us TV show is one of the best we’ve ever seen
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