Bella Ramsey has quickly become one of HBO’s biggest breakout stars. After gaining attention as the fierce Lyanna Mormont on Game of Thrones, Bella took center stage in The Last of Us, playing Ellie in the critically acclaimed adaptation of the beloved video game. Now 21, Bella’s performance has been widely praised for its emotional depth and complexity, marking a major milestone in their rising career.
In a 2023 interview with The New York Times, Bella shared that they are gender fluid, explaining, “I guess my gender has always been very fluid… someone would call me ‘she’ or ‘her,’ and I wouldn’t think about it, but I knew that if someone called me ‘he,’ it was a bit exciting.”
From their early acting days to becoming the heart of one of TV’s biggest shows, here are five things to know about Bella below.
Bella stars as Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us, now in its second season. The character is a teenage orphan who holds the key to developing a cure in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by infection. In season 1, Ellie is smuggled across the country by Joel, played by fellow Game of Thrones alum Pedro Pascal, as the two form a deep, complex bond.
In 2023, Bella told The Hollywood Reporter about their decision to take on the role of Ellie. “Ellie felt like a character I already had in me,” they said at the time. “Like the skins that you wear in a video game? She was one of my skins already.”
Bella memorably played the brave and outspoken Lyanna Mormont in the final three seasons of Game of Thrones. Lyanna is the 10-year-old leader of House Mormont of Bear Island. She aligns herself with Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen in the final season for the Battle of Winterfell. Lyanna sacrifices herself to kill an ice giant.
