Get Used To Gay Storylines In The Last Of Us, Says Bella Ramsey

Five episodes in and the HBO series The Last Of Us has already become one of the most talked about shows of 2023.  The third episode of the series, which featured a gay storyline with Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman playing a gay couple, won critical acclaim.

Despite backlash from conservative critics and homophobes, including episode three being review bombed, lead actor Bella Ramsey says audiences better get used to gay storylines and trans characters in the show. 

Get Used To Queer Stories

Ramsey plays the role of teenager Ellie in the series, who is travelling with Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, across America, after a mutated Cordyceps fungus outbreak. 

The Last of Us is based on a very successful video game and in Part II of the original game, Ellie falls in love with another woman Dina and also introduces a trans character Lev. 

Ramsey, who is non-binary, told British GQ in an interview that she was not concerned with the reaction of homophobes. 

“I know people will think what they want to think. But they’re gonna have to get used to it. If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you, and you’re missing out,” Ramsey told the magazine. 

Conversations With Pedro Pascal

Ramsey revealed that she had worn a chest binder for most of the shooting of Season 1 and had “honest” conversations around gender and sexuality with Pascal, who has a trans sister. 

“And they weren’t always deep: they could be funny and humorous, the whole spectrum. We were just very honest and open with each other,” Ramsey told GQ. 

Blair Durkee, the associate director of gaming for GLAAD, told that for “many LGBTQ people, to see characters like yourself represented in the games you play can be critical. It can change the course of your life.”