'The Last Of Us' Star Bella Ramsey Reveals Feeling 'Freed' After Their Autism Diagnosis

Bella Ramsey, the star of HBO's hit drama The Last of US revealed their autism diagnosis crediting a crew member for recognizing the signs and symptoms. In an interview with British Vogue, which was published on Wednesday, Ramsey shared that they were diagnosed while filing the first season of the series.

“I’ve spoken a bit about neurodivergence before, but I always for some reason didn’t want to,” Ramsey admitted. “I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of The Last of Us.”

While filming in Canada, a crew member who also has an autistic daughter noticed certain similarities in Ramsey's behavior and suspected that they too might be autistic. This observation was what prompted Ramsey to seek a formal psychiatric assessment, and thus leading to their diagnosis.

Ramsey also reflected on their childhood and described feeling out of place in school and finding comfort in the company of adults. They also recalled that they had experienced sensory sensitivities common among autistic individuals, such as heightened awareness of micro-expressions and body language. Ramsey also mentioned that filming in Canada's cold condition was also challenging as the heavy waterproof gear and thermals were required on the set. "It was too much stuff on my body," they shared talking about sensory discomfort.

Autism And Creativity Goes Hand In Hand

Being an actor, Ramsey expressed how their autism actually contributed to their approach to acting. The way they observe people and adopt routines as beneficial to their craft.

“I’ve always been watching and learning from people. Having to learn more manually how to socialize and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting,” they explained. “I have a call time, and I’m told what to wear, how to stand, where to stand, and what to eat.”

Ramsey also revealed that they autism diagnosis was "freeing" as it allowed them to be kinder to themselves and embrace their identity. Sharing their diagnosis, they noted that it helped them "unmask immediately", and freeing them from the need to suppress their true self.

“My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person,” they said. “There’s no reason for people not to know.”

What Is Autism?

As per the National Health Service (NHS) UK, it is important to note that autism is not an illness. Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease, it means your brain works in a different way from other people. This is something people are born with and signs of it can be noticed at a very young age.

NHS UK also notes that autism is a spectrum, which means it could be different for everybody. This means that some people may need little or no support, while others may need help from a parent or carer every day.

As per the American Psychiatric Association, Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests and repetitive behavior. While autism is considered a lifelong condition, the need for service and support because of these challenges could vary from person to person.