Bella Ramsey has revealed that they became “fixated” on looking like their The Last of Us character Ellie Williams after fans continually drew comparisons between the two.
There is a fairly significant physical transformation between Ellie in part one and part two of the original Naughty Dog games, which are set four years apart.
The physical differences are representative of Ellie’s story arc, as the second part of the game – and season two of HBO’s adaptation – see Ellie take on a more domineering, often brutal role in her attempt to survive.
Loyalists of the Naughty Dog games have therefore been meticulous, and often cruel, in their scrutiny of how the season two characters – including Ellie – look in the show compared to the game.
As a result, while preparing to film season two in early 2024, Ramsey went through intense physical training including weight training and boxing.
“It was cool to feel really… capable,” the actor told The Hollywood Reporter recently.
“But I got quite fixated on the way that Ellie looks in the game and her physical stature and, to be specific, the muscle definition in her arms. And I didn’t look like that. My body type isn’t that.”
They shared their concerns with Craig Mazin, The Last of Us showrunner, who assured them that there was no “expectation” for them to bulk up to look like Ellie in The Last of Us Part II.
“He wanted me to look strong and feel strong, and that was in how I carried myself, my posture and the confidence you have. It was a challenge for me to let myself off the hook for not looking computer-generated,” Ramsey explained.
Yet the game zealots have continued to draw harsh comparisons between Ramsey and Ellie and mock the star’s appearance. It’s one of the reasons they took the decision to remove themselves from social media a few months ago.
“I always knew that I’d [deactivate] it one day and never even really wanted to have social media in the first place,” Ramsey explained.
“It wasn’t like this big dramatic thing, but there was an element of it that was thinking about the show coming out for season two. If I just avoid Twitter and Reddit, which now I’m doing, then everything’s totally fine.”
It’s not just Bella Ramsey who has had to endure criticism from the The Last of Us fanbase, with Kaitlyn Dever, who plays bloodthirsty revenge seeker Abby in the HBO series, facing a barrage of abuse for not physically reflecting the burly stature the character has in the game.
While filming the second season, Dever even had to have extra security due to the fandom’s dislike of the character, who is best known for murdering one of the show’s most adored leads.
The Last of Us continues on HBO on Sundays in the US and Sky and NOW on Mondays in the UK.
