The Last Of Us star Bella Ramsey says that people – especially trolls – should get used to gay storylines on the show.
The actor, who plays Ellie in the hit HBO series, said that the next season of the show will “most likely” follow the second instalment of the video game franchise – just like season one. This means that viewers will witness queer romance at the heart of the show’s storyline.
The show has recently faced backlash from certain quarters over its third episode, which focused on the romance of two gay men. Responding to the backlash while also addressing potential future queer themes in the show, Ramsey said: “They’re gonna have to get used to it.”
Sitting down to talk with GQ during a recent interview, the actor said she’d recently visited the writer’s room to see what might be happening in regard to The Last Of Us season two.
“It was so cool to hear them talk about ideas — I’ve watched quite a lot of the gameplay of the second game, just because I’ve been curious,” she explained. “I think [the show] will most likely follow the storyline of the games again. I don’t think there’s much need to fill in the gaps.”
This would mean that the plotline for the second season would see Ellie in a romantic relationship with another young woman, Dina. Speaking about the game’s plotline and how it might relate to real-world filming, Ramsey said: “There are a few bits with Ellie on her own, probably, but I like the fact that she also has [Dina] now.”
The Last Of Us was targeted by trolls amid a backlash from certain quarters in response to Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett’s portrayal of gay couple, Bill and Ray, living through the downfall of civilisation in episode three, Long, Long Time. Ramsey was asked if she was worried about what might happen if there were more queer romances and storylines.
She responded: “I’m not particularly anxious about it. I know people will think what they want to think. But they’re gonna have to get used to it.
“If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you, and you’re missing out. It isn’t gonna make me afraid. I think that comes from a place of defiance.”