Bella Ramsey says there’s one question on The Last of Us press tour they’re rather weary of having to answer.
The 21-year-old star of HBO‘s apocalyptic drama told iHeart Radio that there’s a certain topic that keeps being asked about over and over again.
“I’ve been on a three-week press tour, and this is the most common question I get asked: ‘So, Bella, Ellie was 14 in season one [of The Last of Us], she’s now 19 in season two, there’s a five-year age gap, how did you prepare to play an older Ellie in season two?’” Ramsey recounted.
Ramsey playfully exclaimed: “I’ve grown up! Ellie’s grown up! There’s nothing to tell! I’ve got nothing to say to you! I’m going to get asked that question, probably every day for the next few weeks. So, no offense to everyone asking that question, but that’s the question I am a little bit sick of.”
In the interest of helping answer the question — since there’s apparently a lot of curiosity about it — Ramsey engaged in months of training leading up to the new season (which included weight lifting, boxing and jiu-jitsu).
Previously, showrunner Craig Mazin, during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, elaborated on the subject of Ramsey’s evolution vs. the version of Ellie that was depicted in PlayStation’s The Last of Us game and its Part II sequel (a subject that’s been a focus of a rather unhealthy amount of online discourse).
“One of the reasons why we show a fight scene early is to address what I think is a question that gets glossed over all the time by action movies and shows: How does a small person fight with a big person?” Mazin said. “It’s not going to be karate. It’s not going to be awesome punches and kicks — they’ll lose. The answer is jiu-jitsu. I watch a lot of jiu-jitsu, and I’ve specifically watched sessions where a small person takes down a big person. That’s how that would happen because nobody’s fucking around in this world.”
Mazin continued: “So I understand the difficulty that some people have where they say, “She looked like she was 14 in season one. She still looks roughly the same to us, even though now she’s 19.” Ellie in the game looks much older. Some people change quite dramatically, and some people don’t. I’m not interested in the physical aspect … I’m interested in the emotional maturity and the change in personality … So I understand where people are coming from — but when they watch this year, I think they’re going to see the difference.”
The Last of Us tells the story of two survivors (Ramsey and Pedro Pascal) many years after the onset of an apocalyptic plague. The Emmy-winning series returned Sunday night for its second season to glowing reviews and 5.3 million viewers — an increase from its series premiere two years ago. Sunday’s second episode is generating advance critical buzz and is one you won’t want to miss.
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