The star of one of 2023’s most anticipated shows has shared that they have a "fluid” relationship with gender.
In an interview with the New York Times, The Last of Us actor Bella Ramsey, who recently starred in Lena Dunham’s acclaimed YA movie Catherine Called Birdy, told the outlet that they were pleased to be nominated in the non-gender-specific category at the forthcoming Critics’ Choice Awards for their role in the film.
“I guess my gender has always been very fluid,” Ramsey said. “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.”
According to the Times, Ramsey checks nonbinary on forms if the option is presented.
“I’m very much just a person,” she said, also expressing fluidity about her pronouns. “Being gendered isn’t something that I particularly like, but in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.”
The Last of Us is set in a near future in which the United States is facing a zombie plague. The HBO Max series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey), who could hold the key to beating the plague. The game is notable for featuring several LGBTQ+ characters, including Ellie, whose queer romances are explored both in the game’s sequel and its prequel Left Behind. According to early reports, the series’ third episode also prominently features two of the gay characters from the video game, a couple named Bill and Frank, played respectively by Nick Offerman and Emmy-winning White Lotus rimmer Murray Bartlett.
In the profile, Ramsey also spoke about a previous experience with anorexia, which prompted her to begin writing a script at age 14, five years ago. Ramsey is nominated in the Best Young Actor/Actress category at the Critics’ Choice Awards, which airs Sunday.
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