Bella Ramsey says that a relatively recent revelation has been a “freeing” experience.
“I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of ‘The Last of Us,’” Ramsey, 21, explained to British Vogue in a profile published Wednesday.
The “Game of Thrones” alum confessed to the magazine that they have “always wondered” if they were neurodivergent.
Ramsey said this curiosity stemmed from a feeling that they were a “weirdo” and “loner” for the majority of their life. As a child, Ramsey said they preferred the company of adults to their peers. They also noted that they love routines, are painfully observant of other people’s nonverbal communication and experience sensory sensitivities.
Bella Ramsey attends the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards in 2024. Lionel Hahn via Getty Images
Due to these qualities, Ramsey said that once they began filming Season 1 of “The Last of Us” in Canada, they had an ah-ha moment when a crewmember, who had an autistic daughter, just assumed Ramsey was autistic as well.
Ramsey credits this casual observation with prompting them to finally get a formal diagnosis.
Ramsey described getting diagnosed as autistic as liberating, or “freeing.”
“It enables me to walk through the world with more grace towards myself about not being able to do the easy everyday tasks that everyone else seems to be able to do,” Ramsey said.
In 2023, HuffPost reached out to experts to find out what symptoms an undiagnosed adult with autism might have. Experts responded that some of the telltale signs include a feeling of being “different” than others, sensory differences, difficulty with social cues and strong desires for routine, solitude and direct communication.
Experts also cited a 2022 study that found that 80% of women with autism are not diagnosed until they are 18 years old or older — and noted that receiving a diagnosis later in life can produce mixed feelings.
Ramsey with their “The Last of Us” co-star Pedro Pascal in 2023. Jon Kopaloff via Getty Images
“Discovering that you’re autistic as an adult can be really validating,” Stephanie Gardner-Wright, a licensed master social worker and certified autism clinical specialist in Michigan, told HuffPost at the time. But Gardner-Wright also warned this validation could also come with “a grieving process” that one wasn’t diagnosed earlier, and that more awkward or distressing moments in an autistic person’s youth could have panned out differently.
“Feeling a mix of grief and also excitement is very, very normal,” Gardner-Wright said.
Thinking and experiencing life differently than neurotypical people can also have its perks.
Ramsey, who was nominated for an Emmy for her work as Ellie in Season 1 of “The Last of Us,” told British Vogue that they feel their neurodivergence lends itself to their craft.
“I’ve always been watching and learning from people,” Ramsey said. “Having to learn more manually how to socialize and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting.”
