Bella Ramsey

Ramsey is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, which they have described as the most accurate and truthful for them. They have also described their sexuality as not completely straight and have said that labels do not feel comfortable to them in matters of gender and sexuality. Ramsey has an older sister and has kept much of their family life private.

Ramsey has spoken about recovering from anorexia nervosa and emetophobia, difficulties they experienced while filming The Worst Witch. They have said that their Christian faith helped with their recovery, although they later described their relationship with faith as quieter while remaining fundamental to their life. Ramsey was diagnosed as autistic while filming the first season of The Last of Us and has called the diagnosis freeing, saying that their neurodivergence influences how they perceive social cues and perform.

Ramsey began acting as a hobby at about age four through Stagecoach Performing Arts in Loughborough, where they attended classes for seven years and performed in local children's productions. At age 10, they joined the Television Workshop in Nottingham, which supported their early auditions. They later studied through the online school King's InterHigh, allowing them to balance education with acting.

At age 11, Ramsey made their professional acting debut as the young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in HBO's Game of Thrones. Lyanna was initially intended to appear in only one scene, but Ramsey's performance led the production to expand the character into a recurring role across the sixth, seventh and eighth seasons. The character's direct leadership style made Ramsey a breakout performer and earned them a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination with the ensemble.

While appearing in Game of Thrones, Ramsey played Mildred Hubble in the CBBC fantasy series The Worst Witch. They won the British Academy Children's Award for Young Performer in 2019. Ramsey left the series after its third season to prioritise their mental health, and the role was recast with Lydia Page for the fourth and final season.

Ramsey also voiced Hilda in the Netflix animated series Hilda from 2018 to 2023, including the television film Hilda and the Mountain King. The series won three Daytime Emmy Awards, and Ramsey wrote and performed the song "The Life of Hilda" for the programme. Their early film work included Two for Joy, Holmes & Watson, Judy, Resistance and several short films.

Ramsey's first leading film role was the title character in Catherine Called Birdy, a 2022 historical comedy directed by Lena Dunham and adapted from Karen Cushman's novel. Ramsey played a medieval teenager trying to avoid an arranged marriage, earning a Critics' Choice Award nomination for Best Young Performer. They also wrote and performed "Birdy Song" for the film's soundtrack.

Ramsey became internationally recognised after being cast as Ellie Williams in HBO's The Last of Us, opposite Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller. Critics praised their portrayal of Ellie and their on-screen chemistry with Pascal, who described Ramsey as a blessing and a linked soul. Ramsey's performance brought nominations for the Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics' Choice and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Their first Emmy nomination was the first leading-role nomination for an openly non-binary actor, and they became the youngest two-time Emmy lead drama actress nominee after the second season.

In 2023, Ramsey played Kelsey Morgan, a pregnant heroin addict, in the second series of the BBC prison drama Time. It was the first role they were offered without an audition, and the performance won them the Royal Television Society Award for Female Supporting Actor. They also voiced Molly in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and nTrac in the film The Correction Unit.

Ramsey continued to work in film, animation and music. They played Ivy in the coming-of-age film Sunny Dancer, voiced Zora in The Sheep Detectives, and recorded an acoustic version of "Take On Me" for The Last of Us soundtrack. Under the musical name Bello, they collaborated with Matt Maltese on a 2025 version of "Cure for Emptiness". Their announced projects include the series Maya, the thriller The Liberation and a return as Ellie in the third season of The Last of Us.

Ramsey was included on the Time 100 Next list of rising stars in 2023 and on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2024. In 2025, they became the first openly non-binary person to receive a wax figure at Madame Tussauds in London. They were also selected for the 2023 BAFTA Breakthrough programme.

Ramsey is a patron of Bamboozle Theatre, a Leicester-based company that creates artistic experiences for learning-disabled and autistic young people. They were appointed a Greenpeace Oceans Ambassador in 2019 and provided voice work for the environmental short film Turtle Journey. Ramsey has also supported Palestinian rights and signed public statements backing trans, non-binary and intersex communities.