Bella Ramsey has spoken out about the effects of being criticized over her appearance after being cast in The Last of Us.
The 19-year-old non-binary actor stars as Ellie in the first series of the popular post-apocalyptic HBO MAX series, which came to a dramatic end earlier this month.
In the hit show - which is a same-name adaptation from a Naughty Dog video game - Ramsey portrays a teenager who is believed to have immunity from a fungal virus that wiped out much of the population.
She has since sat down with GQ UK to discuss the hateful comments she received when her casting was first announced.
Speaking to the publication, the former Game of Thrones star said "everyone" made fun of her "square head," and that it didn’t take long for her to read all the harmful remarks about her on social media.
"You’re looking for a comment that’s more painful than the last one. I’d kid myself that I was doing it in jest," the teenage star revealed.
Ramsey went on to reveal that the criticism still has a negative impact on her, continuing: "I wish I could say that I was confident enough [already] that it hasn’t affected me in any way, but it has."
Despite the reaction from trolls, the actor stated that she is delighted with her portrayal of Ellie, saying that she feels "glad" that she could bring the character to life, adding: "I want to do her justice."
When it came to filming the show, the Catherine Called Birdy actor noted her experience could not have been better, expressing that she now has two new father figures: Pedro Pascal - who stars as Joel - and showrunner Craig Mazin.
"I love it so much," she said. "And the people: Craig, Pedro. I want to spend all my time with them. I’ve gained two fathers, in a way."
The renowned show was renewed for a second installment in January with Neil Druckmann - writer and creative director of the game - stating that he felt "humbled, honored and frankly overwhelmed" that the TV adaptation earned so many viewers on the streaming platform, per Hollywood Reporter.
Druckmann also confirmed at a press conference that Ramsey would most likely be returning as Ellie, revealing that the only reason they would ever consider recasting would be if she simply didn’t want to do it anymore.
However, it sounds like the actor is very willing to stay on board, as she opened up to the outlet that she would love nothing more than to carry on.
"Signing on to a series is such a risk, because if I hate this, then I’m potentially tied into it for years," she said. "I didn’t want to be tied into something I didn’t enjoy. But I would honestly do this for years."
