'It has affected me': 'The Last of Us' star Bella Ramsey responds to cruel comments on her looks
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Since the series debuted in January, HBO's ‘The Last Of Us’ has not only garnered millions of views but also drawn criticism for its choice of Bella Ramsey as the main lead. Gamers have put forth a myriad of complaints about the HBO adaptation of the well-known video game, and most have been targeted at the young actress. Ramsey has now responded to the harsh criticism with characteristic candor.
In 'The Last of Us', Bella Ramsey plays Ellie, one of the show's primary characters, alongside Pedro Pascal. The young and talented actress is also known for playing Lyanna Mormont in 'Game of Thrones'.
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‘I wish I could say I was confident’
The young actress experienced a flood of vitriol and insults because some people believed Ramsey did not look like Ellie. Others claimed she was "too ugly" or "not pretty enough."
Ramsey's casting received numerous other criticisms, one being that she was not "rough" enough to play Ellie. Many have remarked that Bella Ramsey lacks the physical and acting abilities to bring the strong and independent character to life.
"I wish I could say that I was confident enough [already] that it hasn't affected me in any way, but it has," Bella admitted to GQ. She also claimed she was pleased with her work on the post-apocalyptic series despite the abuse. "I'm just happy I could make that happen for them, the show, and Ellie. I want to treat her right," she said.
Toxic gamers
Since her casting was revealed, toxic game fans have been whining about how she doesn't resemble the fictitious character, which really shouldn't matter at all. "It's the first time I've ever responded negatively to something," adds Ramsey, who claims she developed the unhealthy habit of reading internet comments about herself.
However, the show's creators, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, deemed Ramsey ideal for the role after a lengthy casting process. Fans can't wait to watch more of Ramsey and Pascal together in upcoming episodes of the HBO adaptation. Hopefully, the success the show has already seen and the favorable reviews of her performance will be of assistance.
The premiere episode of the show received more than 22 million viewers through on-demand formats, which is five times the audience for linear broadcast, according to a statement made by HBO when it renewed the show for Season 2.