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Bella Ramsey has spoken about how they received an autism diagnosis thanks in part to the advice offered by a crew member on set of The Last Of Us.
The 21-year-old, who rose to fame thanks to an iconic portrayal of Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, stars alongside Pedro Pascal in the latest season of the video-game adaptation.
Its second season launched on Sunday April 13, with new episodes to come each week for any fans of the post-apocalyptic drama in which Ramsey could be the only hope against a horrible fungus which is plaguing America. Sounds strangely familiar.
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And while it might seem ridiculous, experts have suggested that a fungi apocalypse is not as crazy as it sounds.
There are plenty of issues that fungus can cause in the summer, but while Ramsey was busy fighting off monsters on set, a crew member spotted something which led to the British actor finally getting an autism diagnosis.
Speaking to British Vogue (via The Mirror), they said: "I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of The Last Of Us."
Sensory issues are a common characteristic of autism, and that was pointed out to the actor when they struggled with wearing thermals and waterproofs during the winter scenes of season one, which Bella described as 'too much stuff on my body'.
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They also spoke about how autism can be an asset with acting, especially as a young actor who is still learning their trade.
Bella added: "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."
It has also helped them on a more personal basis, by helping them feel more comfortable in their own skin.
The young star, who also earned a voice acting credit in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, said: "The label of being autistic has been so helpful to me because that’s helped me to understand myself, but gender and sexuality-wise, labels do not feel comfy for me in any capacity because I feel like I’m putting myself into a box. I feel trapped."
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Speaking to the BBC, they spoke more about how the diagnosis has been freeing: "You can be in industries like this and openly say that you're autistic, why there shouldn't be sort of such a stigma around that and such a fear around that", Bella said.
"So I'm very proud to be able to say it out loud and also just to bring more awareness.
"Autism comes in all different shapes and sizes, and and I'm not someone that people would maybe typically see and go like 'oh, you're autistic'."
The first episode of The Last Of Us season two is available to watch now on Sky and NOW TV.
Topics: Mental Health
James Moorhouse