The Last Of Us: Bella Ramsey 'elevated' Ellie, says Ashley Johnson

Back before The Last of Us first began airing, some particularly vocal fans of the video games expressed that Bella Ramsey might not be the best fit for the character of Ellie. It’s fair to say that everyone who’s played The Last of Us and its sequel have grown attached to Ashley Johnson’s portrayal of the character, but some really weren’t willing to accept the change and give Ramsey the chance to prove what a talented actor they are.

From the season one premiere, it’s been obvious that Ramsey really is the perfect Ellie. Side-by-side comparisons of certain scenes prove just how well they embody the character - everyone is in agreement that they deserve an Emmy for that explosive moment at the end of episode eight.

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As GamesRadar+ reports, Johnson, who was given the role of Ellie’s mum, Anna, in the HBO adaptation, has recently spoken about Ramsey’s portrayal of Ellie, and has praised the actor for bringing more life to the character in the show.

"Because of the depth and talent that Bella has. I feel like she's elevated it. I feel like she's brought so much more to Ellie than we were able to do in the game," Johnson said during a recent roundtable interview. "I feel like there have been so many moments and scenes where Ellie has been able to say things that I feel like I never got to, where she's been able to stand up for herself and stand up to Joel or stand up to anybody around her. And it's cathartic. It makes me so happy to sort of see this character grow even more and have more of a say in her own life in a way."

She continued: "I don't feel like anybody else could have done this part. I finally watched the last episode and she's so f***ing good. She absolutely blows me away. It's gonna sound so weird – I feel so proud of her. I feel a connection to her, I think because we both love this character. And I think there's so much of her that already is Ellie… I feel a massive connection to Bella and I am so blown away by what she's done. What an incredible actor."

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