Bella Ramsey on ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 Finale & Missing Pedro Pascal

Major spoilers forward for season two of The Last of Us.

Much has modified since Bella Ramsey’s casting in The Last of Us used to be first introduced in 2021, each within the universe of the Emmy-winning sequence—which is in response to the vastly fashionable 2013 online game of the similar title—and within the actor’s lifestyles. First, the display: now in its 2nd season, the hit HBO sequence has noticed Ramsey’s Ellie pass from a naive 14-year-old orphan at odds with the arena round her in season one to a hardened 19-year-old gunslinger in season two, ready to shield her group in any way vital within the post-apocalyptic global by which the sport is about.

“Ellie’s a lot tougher now,” Ramsey, who makes use of they/them pronouns, tells W forward of The Last of Us season two finale. She’s additionally grieving her father determine and perfect pal, Pedro Pascal’s Joel, who’s brutally murdered within the season’s 2nd episode. Though Joel’s loss of life wasn’t a surprise to somebody acquainted with how the sport ends—which means, a lot of the sequence’ core and fervent fan base—it nonetheless hit like a intestine punch, no longer least of all on account of the way in which Ramsey and Pascal’s on-and-off display screen chemistry has made the sequence one of these pleasing watch.

“We definitely felt the weight of it, and we especially have felt the weight of it after,” Ramsey says. Pascal has been an enormous a part of the 21-year-old’s lifestyles for the ultimate 4 years, which were formative.

The Nottingham local made their skilled performing debut on some other mega-franchise, Game of Thrones, taking part in the strikingly poised Lyanna Mormont, a 10-year-old ruler with a fierce disposition (Ramsey used to be simply 11 after they filmed their first episode). That enjoy used to be each Ramsey’s large wreck and their advent to the arena of established fandoms. Growing up underneath one of these public lens, Ramsey has confronted their justifiable share of confusion, particularly as any individual whose gender id falls out of doors the binary. (In The Last of Us season two, Ellie has a romantic dating with Isabela Merced’s Dina, a plotline from the sport that has confronted backlash from a vocal minority.)

“We’re all aware of how important this show is to a lot of people,” Ramsey says. “The level of intensity that the fanbase has is incredible. But it can also be kind of scary sometimes.”

Earlier this 12 months, Ramsey publicly shared their autism prognosis, which they won whilst filming season one. The admission has given them “more freedom and permission to be who I am in the public space,” Ramsey says. As season two of The Last of Us—which has been renewed for season 3—involves an in depth, Ramsey is onto one thing totally other, filming the coming-of-age comedy Sunny Dancer in Scotland. “It’s the antithesis of The Last of Us in every way,” they are saying with a grin. Below, the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor talks Joel’s loss of life, their ongoing friendship with Pascal, and stocks some teasers on what the finale will convey:

Most of The Last of Us to this point has been about Ellie and Joel. How did his loss of life this season land for you?

We don’t know what’s going to occur in long term seasons, however we have been conscious on set that it used to be perhaps the ultimate time we have been going to be on this dynamic in combination for any period of time. So we felt it whilst filming, however there used to be just a little little bit of denial. After, doing press for the season, I feel is the place it’s hit us onerous. It’s shedding a scene spouse and shedding Joel as a personality, however for me, it’s additionally shedding being with Pedro on a daily basis, which is an enjoy that I’m so thankful to have had.

What’s your friendship like at the present time, and with the remainder of the forged?

A bunch chat has sprung up post-filming. It’s referred to as “The Crazy of Us.” And Pedro and I are nonetheless involved and hoping to peer every different quickly. He remains to be an excellent give a boost to to me, and I’m hoping that I’m additionally an excellent give a boost to to him.

So a lot of the sequence has been about you and Pedro, Ellie and Joel. What used to be it love to movie such a lot of this season with out him, and to have Ellie be in one of these other headspace?

There used to be a shift this season, with Ellie changing into her personal model of Joel, in many ways. She’s nonetheless this scared kid inside of, however on the similar time, she’s additionally now embodying this protector determine, and her middle has gotten so much more difficult. She’s grieving in the way in which that Joel used to be grieving for his child when he first met Ellie. There are such a lot of similarities and crossovers to me between Ellie and Joel. Sometimes I’d attempt to emulate Pedro in sure scenes. Tommy even says it within the first episode, like, “You, my brother, same goddamn person.” That’s one thing I used to be enthusiastic about so much.

What used to be it love to have Ellie fall in love this season?

It used to be candy to peer a personality audiences know so smartly in a single dynamic—because the daughter—now get to peer Ellie older and in a blossoming, romantic dating. It used to be thrilling to discover that facet of her. What is she like when she’s in love? What facets of Ellie does Dina convey out, and which facet is Ellie shy of?

How do you suppose lovers will really feel in regards to the finale?

There’s an overarching theme of the entire season, which is amplified within the finale, and it’s the query of who’s the hero and who’s the villain? And whether or not it’s at the same time as straight forward as that, what lengths grief and revenge can take you to, and the morality of who is true and justified of their movements. It’s difficult. The finale leans into that ethical struggle.

This season, you had two new costars, Kaitlyn Dever and Isabela Merced. Did you percentage any recommendation with them about becoming a member of the franchise?

I gave them recommendation that I personally don’t apply, which is not to learn anything else. Don’t learn, don’t get misplaced down web rabbit holes of other people speaking about you, your efficiency, and your casting. I simply sought after to ensure they felt held and cared for all the way through the entire enjoy.

You shared ultimate month that you just won an autism prognosis whilst filming season one. How has going public with that modified issues for you?

I were given recognized in season one, and it used to be fascinating to appear again at season two and my enjoy now having this data. I believe like I will give myself permission to be myself. I want I had at all times been sooner than. I’ve by no means been ready to kind of disguise who I’m. Now, I’m simply extra at ease and extra at ease.

I consider it’s helped numerous people, too.

That’s been a fantastic factor off the again of it. There are other people coming and telling me that it’s helped. That’s all I may just hope for, actually. That’s the dream.