Craig Mazin, the showrunner of HBO’s hit post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us, has pushed back against a recurring criticism about Bella Ramsey’s character.
The series is adapted from a hit video game franchise, and sees Ramsey, 21, play Ellie, a young woman who is immune to the virus that ravaged human civilisation.
In the first season of the show, which aired in 2022 and was adapted from the original 2013 game The Last of Us, Ellie is 14 years old. By the time of the second game and series, the character is now 19.
While this time jump brings the character closer to Ramsey’s real-world age, some fans had claimed that the actor’s youthful appearance – when compared to the character in the original video game – made them an odd fit for the second season.
“Ellie in the game looks much older,” said Mazin, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Some people do change quite dramatically and some people don’t.
“I’m not interested in the physical aspect – although I’ve been looking at Bella’s face for years while editing, and I can see that they’ve certainly grown. I’m interested in the emotional maturity, and the change in personality.”
Ramsey, who won widespread acclaim for their performance in the first season, is also 5ft 1” tall, which required a specific approach when it came to the series’ fight scenes, Mazin explained.
“How does a small person fight with a big person? It’s not going to be karate,” he said. “It’s not going to be awesome punches and kicks – they’ll lose.
“The answer is Juujitsu. I watch a lot of jiujitsu and I’ve specifically watched sessions where a small person is taking down a big person. That’s how that would happen because nobody’s f***ing around in this world.”
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Ramsey’s stature also influenced the casting of Dina, Ellie’s love interest in the forthcoming second season. Isabella Merced (Alien: Romulus) was ultimately cast in the role.
“We wanted somebody that was this contrast, this sunlight, because Ellie is tough and reserved and careful, and we wanted somebody who is radiating sun,” said Mazin. “We also didn’t want somebody that was 5’9″, because Bella is pretty short. It’s one of those things where it gets a little wonky to frame [two actors of very different height], or Dina might feel maternal, like a mom.”
The Last of Us returns on 13 April 2025, and can be watched in the UK on Sky and NOW.
