HBO's The Last Of Us Ellie actor responds to casting backlash

It really doesn’t feel that long ago that it was announced that Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey would be bringing Joel and Ellie to life in HBO’s The Last of Us series. Time has certainly flown and we’re now just days away from the show’s 15 January premiere, or 16 January if you live here in the UK.

The press tour is nearing its end and we’ve learnt so much about the show. It’s set to feature less violence than the game, but it will still retain key moments. Showrunner Craig Mazin has also confirmed that The Last of Us won’t outstay its welcome. The series will adapt the games only, with season two confirmed to be tackling the plot of The Last of Us Part II - Naughty Dog’s controversial (but incredible) sequel. Fans are understandably hyped for the show but Bella Ramsey has now responded to the small minority who’ve questioned their casting.

Check out the trailer for The Last of Us series below.

Actors do not need to be mirror images of video game characters, but some people can’t wrap their head around that. Many questioned whether Bella was right for the role, simply due to looks alone - which, again, makes me want to scream. Sadly, Bella saw the backlash but offered the perfect response in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“I’ve seen everything. I’m aware of all of it,” Bella began. “It was my first experience, really, with a lot of negative reactions.” The actor felt empowered to take on the role though because “Ellie felt like a character I already had in me, like the skins that you wear in a video game. She was one of my skins already.” Bella further talked about the fact that they “seriously considered that maybe I don’t want to be famous [...] I like to blend in and hide,” but their love of Ellie overpowered that fear.

Mazin touched on the fan backlash as some people were complaining that Pedro couldn’t grow a full beard. “You’re laughing, but for some people that’s a serious deal breaker for them! They’re like ‘Oh my god, he can’t even have the same beard as Joel in the game.’” From what we’ve seen, it looks like the casting directors did an excellent job.