Bella Ramsey Seriously Considered Not Even Auditioning for ‘The Last of Us’: ‘You’ve Chosen the Wrong Person’
Since the new HBO drama The Last of Us premiered on January 15, fans and critics have praised Bella Ramsey for her portrayal of Ellie. However, Ramsey said she almost passed up the opportunity to audition for The Last of Us, believing she was “the wrong person” for the part.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann adapted ‘The Last of Us’ video game for HBO
The Last of Us, the highly anticipated HBO series adaptation of the popular 2013 video game of the same name, was greenlit thanks to the efforts of its two creators, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. After watching Mazin’s award-winning miniseries, Chernobyl, Druckmann — the creative director of the original game — envisioned a compelling way to adapt the postapocalyptic zombie story into a TV series. He approached Mazin with the idea, and the two began working to bring the series to life.
Mazin and Druckmann pitched the series to HBO head Casey Bloys, who signed them on right then and there. However, the studio was concerned about casting. And they wanted the showrunners to ensure the lead actors — Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey — had enough chemistry to compel an audience.
“If those two don’t work, the show doesn’t work,” Bloys told The Hollywood Reporter. “But I think it’s pretty clear from the beginning they’re both incredibly soulful and give extraordinary performances. The love that has to develop between these two characters for you to care was there in spades.”
The pressure from the video game’s fans was also palpable early on. They had waited for years for a proper adaptation of the beloved game, and because of Mazin and Druckmann’s involvement, expectations were high.
The two creators had to ensure they stayed true to the original game’s spirit and delivered a product that lived up to fans’ expectations. They succeeded, and the series has earned acclaim from fans and critics alike.
Bella Ramsey seriously considered not auditioning for ‘The Last of Us’
Best known for her role as Lyanna Marmont in Game of Thrones, Bella Ramsey is garnering widespread praise for her portrayal of Ellie in The Last of Us. But when talking to The Hollywood Reporter, the 19-year-old admitted she was hesitant about taking on the role because she knew the game’s fan base was massive.
“I seriously considered that maybe I don’t want to be famous, so I’m not going to do this show because it’s going propel me to a place I don’t want to go to in terms of being seen and being known,” Ramsey said. “I like to blend in and hide.”
Still, Ramsey sent in an audition tape. And after seeing her, Mazin and Druckmann were convinced she was the perfect Ellie and immediately offered Ramsey the role. But even after arriving in Canada to shoot, the actor still wasn’t sure she was a good fit.
“’What am I doing here?’” Ramsey admitted thinking. “‘You’ve chosen the wrong person’ — all of that goes around in your head.”
Ramsey calls Ellie one of her ‘skins’
When HBO announced that Bella Ramsey would play Ellie in The Last of Us, some of the video game’s fans took to the internet to drag her down. The English actor tried not to read the negative comments. But when she did, they proved her initial reluctance was warranted.
“I’ve seen everything,” Ramsey told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m aware of all of it. It was my first experience, really, with a lot of negative reactions.”
But she felt an undeniable connection to Ellie. And Ramsey noted that seeing so much of the character in herself ultimately allowed her to tackle the role.
“Ellie felt like a character I already had in me,” the actor explained. “Like the skins that you wear in a video game? She was one of my skins already.”
New episodes of The Last of Us debut Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
