Bella Ramsey

Bella Ramsey’s Emmy Nomination and Career Achievements

On July 12, 2023, Bella Ramsey made history by receiving their first Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for their role as Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us. This nomination marks a significant milestone, as Ramsey is only the second nonbinary actor to be recognized by the Emmy Awards. At the age of 19, they are also the fourth-youngest nominee ever in the Lead Drama Actress category. Despite their achievement, Ramsey expressed feeling “uncomfortable” submitting for a nomination in the traditionally gendered category of Best Actress. They voiced a hope for “more space for non-binary people to be recognized” in future award categories.

Who Is Bella Ramsey?

Bella Ramsey is a non-binary English actor who first gained widespread recognition for their role as Lyanna Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Known for their commanding performance as the young noblewoman and warrior, Ramsey went on to become a household name through their portrayal of Ellie in The Last of Us, HBO’s 2023 adaptation of the acclaimed video game. In addition to their television work, Ramsey has appeared in the series The Worst Witch and the film Catherine Called Birdy. Their remarkable contributions to the industry have earned them a British Academy Children’s Award, along with several other nominations.

Early Life and Education

Isabella May Ramsey, professionally known as Bella Ramsey, was born on September 30, 2003, in Nottingham, England. Raised in a family with an artistic inclination, her father was a trumpet player, and her older sister participated in amateur acting groups. Ramsey’s passion for acting began at an early age—she started performing at just four years old. At seven, she joined Stagecoach Theatre Arts in Loughborough, where she trained for approximately seven years. Her teacher at Stagecoach described her as exceptionally talented, noting that she could quickly grasp new concepts, stating, “Bella would pick things up within two or three goes. What talent, to be able to do that.”

Ramsey also attended King’s InterHigh, an online school, which allowed her to pursue acting while offering an alternative to mainstream secondary education. She had expressed dissatisfaction with traditional schooling, stating that she “didn’t enjoy mainstream secondary school and wasn’t happy.” At the age of 10, she joined the Television Workshop, a Nottingham-based drama group for young people, although she did not yet see acting as a viable full-time career. Reflecting on this time, Ramsey remarked, “I didn’t even consider it. It would have blown my little brain to smithereens.”

Game of Thrones

Ramsey’s involvement with the Television Workshop led to an audition for Game of Thrones, marking her first credited acting role at the age of 11. She portrayed Lyanna Mormont, the fierce young leader of House Mormont and an ally to Jon Snow. The character, known for her quick wit, sharp tongue, and courage despite her age, made an indelible impact on the series. Ramsey made her debut in the show’s sixth season in 2016, continuing through to its eighth and final season in 2019.

Upon reading the script, Ramsey was immediately drawn to the character, noting her admiration for Lyanna’s strength, both mentally and physically, and her unwavering resolve. “I like how strong she—mentally, physically, personality-wise. I like how she sticks up for what she believes in, no matter the cost or the consequences,” Ramsey shared with New York Magazine. Lyanna quickly became a fan favorite, a surprise to Ramsey herself. “I didn’t expect it at all,” she admitted. “I just turned up, did my filming, and would see what happens.”

D.B. Weiss, the executive producer of Game of Thrones, commended Ramsey’s performance, acknowledging the challenge of casting such a pivotal role with a young actor. “Casting Lyanna Mormont was particularly challenging because it meant putting a lot of dramatic weight on the shoulders of somebody who needs to be very young,” Weiss explained. Despite her role in the series, Ramsey’s parents opted not to let her watch the violent and explicit content of Game of Thrones, given her young age.

Other Acting Roles

In 2017, Bella Ramsey was cast in a leading role in The Worst Witch, a CBBC television adaptation of Jill Murphy’s children’s book series. Ramsey portrayed Mildred Hubble, a young witch navigating life at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. Reflecting on the experience, Ramsey noted a strong sense of camaraderie among the cast, describing the show as having “lots of great parts.”

For their performance, Ramsey won the Young Performer award at the 2019 British Academy Children’s Awards. However, after three seasons, Ramsey departed the series in 2020, citing personal reasons. They later revealed that during filming, they developed anorexia nervosa and announced on Instagram that they left the show to prioritize their mental health. Ramsey attributed a significant part of their recovery to their Christian faith.

Beyond The Worst Witch, Ramsey lent their voice to the title character in Netflix’s Hilda, which premiered in 2018. In this animated series, they voiced Hilda, an adventurous young girl who relocates from her enchanted forest home to a bustling city. Ramsey’s voice work earned them a nomination for Best Voice Performance at the British Animation Awards. In the show’s second season, Ramsey also wrote and performed the song “The Life of Hilda,” originally suggested as a joke by series director Dave Peacock.

In 2022, Ramsey appeared in Catherine Called Birdy, a medieval comedy directed by Lena Dunham and based on Karen Cushman’s novel. In the film, they portrayed Birdy, a teenage girl in 13th-century England who resists her father’s plans for an arranged marriage. Their performance earned a nomination for Best Young Performer at the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The film also features “Birdy Song,” which Ramsey wrote at the age of 10, inspired by a challenging experience during a sleepover.

The Last of Us

Ramsey’s breakout role came with their casting in The Last of Us, an HBO adaptation of the 2013 video game. Set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungal infection, Ramsey plays Ellie, a 14-year-old orphan immune to the infection. Co-starring Pedro Pascal as Joel, a survivor tasked with escorting Ellie across a pandemic-ravaged America, the series quickly garnered widespread acclaim. Series co-creator Craig Mazin praised Ramsey’s audition, stating it felt like “Ellie realized in live action.”

Though both Ramsey and Pascal appeared in Game of Thrones, they had never shared scenes until The Last of Us, where they quickly developed a strong on-screen chemistry. The performances of both actors received critical praise, with Radio Times highlighting their skill in balancing emotional depth and comedic moments.

In recognition of their performance, Ramsey received their first Emmy nomination on July 12, 2023, for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. This nomination made them only the second non-binary actor ever nominated in this category, following Carl Clemons Hopkins in 2020, and also made them the fourth-youngest nominee for Lead Drama Actress.

Personal Life

Ramsey identifies as non-binary, describing their gender as “always very fluid.” As a child, they enjoyed being mistaken for a boy and, in an interview with The New York Times in January 2023, expressed that they “really couldn’t care less” about the pronouns people used for them. However, in July 2023, they told British Vogue that being referred to as “they” felt “the most truthful” to them. While submitting for the 2023 Emmy nomination in the gendered category of Best Actress made Ramsey feel “uncomfortable,” they expressed a hope for more inclusive recognition for non-binary individuals in future award categories.

In addition to acting, Ramsey is musically inclined, playing guitar and writing songs. They briefly entertained the idea of a podcast, Not Bella Ramsey, in 2019 but later dismissed it as “a bad idea” that was never released.