Coming out as non-binary has been a 'mixed bag': Bella Ramsey

London: ‘The Last of Us’ star Bella Ramsey said the decision to come out as a non-binary individual turned into a headline, something they wish hadn’t happened.

The actor, who shot to stardom with her role as Lyanna Mormont in ‘Game of Thrones’, came out as non-binary and gender-fluid in 2023 when they were promoting the first season of HBO show ‘The Last of Us’. Non-binary people often use they/them as their pronouns.

In an interview with British news outlet ‘The Guardian’, the actor said they were a bit hesitant about coming out but now feel it was the right move. “Part of me looks back and I wish that I didn’t because I didn’t want it to become a headline and a big thing. And obviously, it was going to and I didn’t really understand that at the time. And I wasn’t really prepared for that. On the other hand, people have said to me that it’s been very helpful for them to see some representation. So, it’s been a mixed bag,” they said.

Having shared the news with the world, the actor said they feel they can live life more freely now. “I think it was a good thing - just for me living more freely - without feeling like I’m keeping a secret. But now I’m like, ‘I’ll talk about it, but I don’t want it to be the focus anymore’. I guess I’m just quite chill with it. And I want everyone else to be as chill with it basically,” they said.

Ramsey currently features in the second season of ‘The Last of Us’, alongside Pedro Pascal.