Shot to fame earlier this year with their spectacular performance as Ellie Williams opposite their Game of Thrones co-star, Pedro Pascal, in HBO’s popular show The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey, mentions how they once lost out on a role because they didn’t match the director’s beauty standards.
Hollywood has always been notorious for pertaining to a certain beauty standard. Although things seem to be changing in recent times with appreciation toward diversity steadily growing both in the industry and the audience, it seems there are still miles left to go.
Something that was proven by none other than Ramsey’s experience with netizens’ response towards them appearing as Ellie way before the show’s airing. Thankfully, the showrunners saw the merit in casting them the same and stood firm on their beliefs, giving people the perfect Ellie.
Bella Ramsey’s disappointing audition story
Ramsey mentioned in a newly resurfaced video from a 2022 interview on Twitter that they lost out on a role in one of their very first auditions. They added, “I was told the director really liked me but I didn’t get the part because I didn’t have the ‘Hollywood look’”. According to them, this is something they have always found quite interesting. Thankfully Bella Ramsey debuted as the young but impactful Lady of the Bear Island, Lyanna Mormont, in the 6th season of another hugely popular HBO show, Game of Thrones at the age of 14.
Now, after The Last of Us, it would be safe to say that they have finally managed to spellbind those worrying over their looks once and for all. As the show’s co-creator Craig Mazin said, “People were like, ‘She doesn’t look like [Ellie].’ I’m like, ‘It doesn’t matter. Just watch what happens.’ And now they know.”
Bella Ramsey to return as Ellie in The Last of Us season 2
It should also be mentioned that Ramsey was chosen from over 100 actors, including the highly talented actor and their Game Of Thrones co-star Maisy Williams, who auditioned as Ellie. According to Mazin, they were looking for a child or somebody who could convincingly portray being a child, and, “who has this preternatural wisdom with this impossible combination of youth and experience. Plus, she needs to be funny, tough, violent, and protective of herself,” Mazin added. Interestingly, this is not Ramsey’s first time playing such a young and vibrant character.
These remarks have an eerie similarity with Ramsey’s role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones and even Hilda, the animated series, in which they voiced the adventurous girl ready to face the world, although with much brighter undertones. So, their portraying Ellie so beautifully in the post-apocalyptic thriller series is really not such a surprise. Thankfully for the fans, Ramsey will be returning as Ellie in the next season, although they had their reservations at first.
Ramsey mentioned, “Signing on to a series is such a risk, because if I hate this, then I’m potentially tied into it for years, and I didn’t want to be tied into something I didn’t enjoy.” However, fortunately, they seem to be enjoying their role now, as they added that they now feel like they could honestly do this for years.
Also Read: The Last of Us Creators Confirm Season 3 Already in the Pipeline
The Last of Us season 1 is available for streaming on HBO Max.
Source: Comic Book Resources
