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Bella Ramsey admits autism diagnosis was ‘freeing’. The Last of Us star, who uses they/them pronouns, has opened up about being diagnosed with autism. In an interview with British Vogue, Bella revealed that they were diagnosed after a member of the Last of Us crew, who has a daughter with autism, assumed they were also autistic. ”I've spoken a bit about neurodivergence before, but I always for some reason didn't want to...I felt like I didn't want to say what it was... Shoot.” After collecting their thoughts, Bella continued, "I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of The Last of Us.” The Game of Thrones actor shared that their diagnosis confirmed something that they had "always wondered" about, adding that it was “freeing”. According to the publication, Bella grew up feeling out of place and experienced sensory issues and what Vogue described as a "painful hyperawareness of other people's micro-expressions and body language”. Reflecting on their diagnosis, Bella explained: ”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.” Explaining why they have decided to open up about their diagnosis, the 21-year-old said: ”My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person. There's no reason for people not to know.” The also actor pointed out that their autism has had a positive impact on their career. ”I've always been watching and learning from people. Having to learn more manually how to socialise and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting."
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