They will be appearing alongside lesbian icon Fiona Shaw
BY CHARLOTTE GRIMWADE, IMAGE BY HBO
After the critical acclaim of HBO’s The Last Of Us, Bella Ramsey will star in Romola Garai’s Monstrous Beauty. The film is set in the court of Charles II and will see Bella entirely covered in hair thanks to their character’s hypertrichosis. The character in question is keen playwright Barbara Field. Bella will act alongside lesbian icon Fiona Shaw, who is playing the first officially published female playwright, Aphra Behn.
Though Bella has recently gained considerable attention from their role as queer teenager Ellie in The Last of Us, their television success began with Game Of Thrones. Bella grew up in Leicestershire, ultimately joining the Television Workshop in Nottingham at the age of ten. The Game Of Thrones audition then cropped up. In the hit show, which similarly involved navigating court politics, Bella played the young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in the last three seasons of the series. Since then, series and films alike have dominated Bella’s career, from historical drama Becoming Elizabeth to the comedy Catherine Called Birdy.
It’s undeniable that The Last Of Us has put a spotlight on the young actor. In the video game adaptation Bella plays teenager Ellie. In a dystopian America, the protagonist dodges zombies and acts as the possible key to humanity’s survival. All alongside co-star Pedro Pascal, of course. The second season of The Last Of Us is expected to continue closely following the plot of the original game, meaning that Bella’s character will have a relationship with a woman named Dina. From Ellie’s relationship to the introduction of new characters like trans teenager Lev, the next season not only promises more exciting LGBTQIA representation but also an opportunity for Bella to shine.
Bella’s non-binary identity was confirmed back in January, stating in a New York Times interview that they were “very much just a person”. On this year’s Trans Day of Visibility on 31 March, Bella not only featured in Teen Vogue’s Dear Trans Kids, Dear America video, but also tweeted about the personal significance of the day. “I didn’t know the word non-binary in this picture. But I knew what it meant. Inherently. Because I always was, and always will be.”
Happy TDOV to this little dude! I didn’t know the word non-binary in this picture. But I knew what it meant. Inherently. Because I always was, and always will be. Lotsa love to all of my trans, enby and gender funky friends. #TransDayOfVisibility 🤍 pic.twitter.com/8T5Kq6SIOW
— Bella Ramsey (@BellaRamsey) March 31, 2023
Monstrous Beauty will offer another great chance to see Bella centre-stage. Their latest character, Barbara, will contend with an intensely patriarchal society with the help and guidance of equally powerful women like Aphra. It promises an engaging lead role with an actor that never disappoints.
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