Bella Ramsey on Joel’s Death, Ellie Comparisons, and Leaving Social Media

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Spoilers for The Last of Us season 2, episode 2

Summary

  • Bella Ramsey discusses challenges with Joel’s death scene & handling comparisons to Ellie.
  • Ramsey opens up about deactivating social media due to online trolls and toxic comments.
  • The brutal portrayal of Joel’s death scene in The Last of Us Season 2 hit viewers hard.

After the poignant second episode of The Last of Us Season 2 has passed, Bella Ramsey shares her thoughts on being likened to the game’s character Ellie and stepping away from social media platforms. It goes without saying that the most recent installment of HBO’s post-apocalyptic series offered more than just a harrowing emotional journey as Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, met his tragic end. Furthermore, viewers were confronted with the collapse of Jackson, a sanctuary that had been crucial for survival in such a harsh and unforgiving world.

As a devoted cinephile, I must say that the brutal demise of Joel in “The Last of Us” HBO series left me reeling more than I ever thought possible, even though I had braced myself for the moment having played through “The Last of Us Part 2.” Watching Abby mercilessly take Joel’s life, a man who had murdered her father at Firefly Hospital, was almost too much to bear. Yet, it was the anguished cries of Ellie as she helplessly watched that cut even deeper.

In the first season of “The Last of Us,” we learned that Ellie is terrified of ending up alone – a fear that has unfortunately come true in Season 2. As we eagerly await further episodes to unveil Ellie’s next moves on her revenge-fueled journey, Ramsey shares his thoughts on grappling with the harrowing portrayal of Pedro being beaten and bloodied. He also confesses to feeling self-critical at first, as he didn’t feel like the Naughty Dog character he was embodying.

Bella Ramsey Discusses How They Dealt With Ellie Comparisons and Online Trolls

During an interview with THR, Bella Ramsey shared that filming the brutal scene involving Joel’s death was particularly challenging for her. She admitted that she nearly overstepped the mark, making it seem too ordinary and acting as if it wasn’t happening at all. However, given the intense nature of the scene, Ramsey felt compelled to adopt this detached mindset to avoid being overwhelmed by the stress and anxiety triggered by the events unfolding on set. When the time came for her to portray Ellie crying on the floor after witnessing Joel getting struck in the neck with a golf club, it appeared genuine because, as she sobbed and was pinned to the ground, “It just all came out” naturally.

I’d like to assure you that the roles I take up in the future will be distinct from Ellie’s. It’s not that I don’t cherish playing Ellie, but I’m eager for a fresh challenge. I want to confront a project and a character that scares me, one where I question my abilities – that’s what excites me most.

Ramsey shares an experience where they were self-conscious about emulating Ellie’s appearance from Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us Part 2”. They confessed to being preoccupied with Ellie’s in-game look and physique. However, they didn’t share the same muscular structure as the game character, which caused some apprehension.

After a thorough discussion with showrunner Craig Mazin about Ellie’s visual representation, the key takeaway from their conversation was that Ellie should exude strength both physically and emotionally. Mazin made it clear he didn’t expect Ramsey to match Ellie’s appearance exactly. Despite this, Ramsey admitted that it was a struggle for them to accept not meeting the computer-generated ideal.

Many viewers of the series have noticed a wave of negativity directed at Ramsey due to their appearance not matching Ellie’s in the series. Fortunately, Ramsey chose to step back from social media platforms several months ago to shield themselves from this overwhelming and unjust hostility. “I had always planned to leave it [social media] eventually, and I never really wanted it in the first place,” Ramsey admits. “It wasn’t a dramatic decision, but there was a part of me thinking about the upcoming season two. By steering clear of Twitter and Reddit now, everything should be smooth sailing.

The Last of Us Season 2 streams on Max, with new episodes dropping every Sunday.

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2025-04-24 19:36