After being hounded by video game fans, The Last of Us actor Bella Ramsey has spoken out about the cost of trolling.
Bella, 19, was revealed as the star of the television version of the enormously famous 2013 action-adventure game opposite Pedro Pascal as Joel in the start of 2021.
Both the game and the series featured Joel, a smuggler charged with transporting the immune adolescent Ellie (Bella) through a post-apocalyptic America two decades after a pandemic triggered by a widespread fungal infection.
While the programme became a huge success, Bella has spoken out about the impact of the initial hostility around her casting.
When she was initially introduced as the actress who would play the famous character, several fans were outraged.
They were apparently irritated by the fact that Bella did not resemble the video game character, and they made their feelings known swiftly.
Bella has stated that she was treated to unending vitriol on social media and even received demands to quit.
In explaining what happened, the actor, who is non-binary but uses she/her pronouns, stated that “everyone” seemed to be transfixed on her “square head.”
Speaking to GQ, she said she developed a habit for doom-scrolling.
‘You’re looking for a comment that’s more painful than the last one,’ she told the publication.
‘I’d kid myself that I was doing it in jest.’
While the hatred subsided and she was praised for doing respect to the role, Bella acknowledged the initial backlash lingered in the back of her mind.
‘I wish I could say that I was confident enough [already] that it hasn’t affected me in any way, but it has,’ she said.
‘I’m just glad I could do that for them. And for the show. And for Ellie. I want to do her justice.’
A second season of the smash series has already been confirmed, with 1.2 billion minutes watched after only five of the nine episodes were published.
It was announced in January that Joel and Ellie will return to the big screen.
In a statement, Neil Druckmann – the creator of the game and co-showrunner of the TV series – said: ‘I’m humbled, honoured, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey.
Praising the ‘incredibly’ cast and crew, he added: ‘Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two.’
The Last of Us is available to watch on Sky and NOW.
Source My Celebrity Life.