Bella Ramsey is only 21 years old, but the British actor has already made a name in the business for playing strong young women.
Ramsey came on the scene as a preteen, playing the noblewoman and warrior Lyanna Mormont in nine episodes of Game of Thrones. From there, Ramsey won the starring role of Ellie, humanity’s last hope in the wildly popular, post-apocalyptic TV show, The Last of Us – the number one TV show online as of May 19, 2025 per Television Stats, beating out Andor, MobLand, The Handmaid’s Tale, and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Despite mounting popularity and being one of the youngest actors in the history of the Emmy Awards to be nominated for lead actress in a drama, Ramsey is making headlines for being diagnosed with autism. In the face of what could be devastating news for a teenager in the limelight, Ramsey credits autism as an integral part of the success the actor has achieved so far. “My experience of moving through the world is as an autistic person. There’s no reason for people not to know,” Ramsey said.
Born to Act
According to Biography.com, Ramsey began acting at the age of four. By seven, the youngster was enrolled at the Stagecoach Theatre Arts, a performing arts school in Loughborough, England, not far from Nottingham, Ramsey’s hometown. “Bella would pick things up within two or three goes. What talent, to be able to do that,” Ramsey’s teacher said in describing the skill and attentiveness of the budding actor.
Around 10 years old, Ramsey enrolled in the Television Workshop, a Nottingham-based drama group for young people. Ramsey didn’t believe a full-time acting career was even possible, but then came the opportunity to audition for Game of Thrones.
At the same time, Ramsey would end up enrolling in the King’s InterHigh online school, providing the flexibility to pursue acting while obtaining traditional schooling as a child. It’s reported that Ramsey didn’t enjoy mainstream high school and was unhappy there. Ramsey also described feeling out of place in school, often feeling more comfortable around adults.
Perhaps this was because Ramsey had autism, but it went undiagnosed at the time. This is not unusual as boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls. It’s not that girls don’t suffer from autism as much as boys. Instead, the problem is believed to be the underdiagnosis of girls. Research has shown that girls have a way of blending in with their peers more so than boys, masking or camouflaging internal struggles, such as anxiety and loneliness. All of which makes diagnosing autism in girls a unique challenge.
Being Diagnosed with Autism
In addition to difficulties in school, Ramsey developed the eating disorder anorexia nervosa while filming a TV series called The Worst Witch during the actor’s early teen years. After three years on the show, Ramsey bowed out to prioritize mental health. “I had this real need to, I think, show people in a physical way that I was struggling, because I found it so hard to vocalize,” Ramsey told British Vogue.
According to Psychology Today, there is a higher incidence of people with autism who have eating disorders compared to the general population. Studies have found that between 20 and 30 percent of people with eating disorders also have autism or display signs of the condition. One study showed that women with anorexia nervosa scored significantly higher on the Autism Spectrum Quotient questionnaire than women without anorexia. Research suggests that as many as one-third of people living with anorexia have higher-than-expected levels of autistic traits (Kerr-Gaffney et al., 2020).
Ramsey’s eating disorder could be considered another indication or sign of autism. But it wasn’t until the filming of season one of The Last of Us when a crew member with a daughter on the autism spectrum recognized some of the same signs in Ramsey’s behavior. It was at that point that Ramsey sought an expert assessment that led to actor’s official autism diagnosis.
British Vogue reports that Ramsey’s autism diagnosis confirmed something that Ramsey had always wondered about, because the actor felt like a “weirdo” and a “loner” among peers in school. Sensory issues provided other hints or signs of Ramsey having autism. For example, Ramsey was reportedly uncomfortable wearing the heavy waterproof gear and thermals that were required filming in the cold Canadian wilderness, describing it as “too much stuff on my body.”
However, Ramsey considers neurodivergence “incredibly helpful in terms of acting. I wouldn’t be an actor if it wasn’t for my neurodivergence,” according to this article. Ramsey goes on to explain, “One of my things is that I have insane levels of visual perception compared to all the other things. I’ve been watching people and absorbing everything since I was really young… all these characters that I play, there’s an element of them that’s already inside me because I’ve seen someone be that before.” Ramsey has also described this visual perception as a “painful hyperawareness of other people’s micro expressions and body language.” This, too, could be considered a sensory issue.
The process of being on set and filming also provides Ramsey with a routine that is often beneficial for a person with autism. “Having to learn more manually about how to socialize and interact with people around me has helped me with acting. I have a call time, and I’m told what to do, how to stand, where to stand, and what to eat.”
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Ramsey finds kindness in the autism diagnosis. “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.”
Ultimately, the diagnosis was freeing for Ramsey, allowing the actor to be authentic without feeling the need to hide. “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 I’m not someone that people would maybe typically see and go like ‘oh, you’re autistic’,” the actor told VT.co.
That’s so true. When you see Ramsey and look at what the young actor has accomplished, most people, including us here at The Behavior Exchange, would instead say, “Oh, you’re awesome!”
If you’d like to learn more about the early diagnosis and treatment of autism that can put a child and family on the path to a brighter future, contact our experts today. We provide highly accredited, caring, and fun ABA therapy that is setting a new standard in North Texas.
Children as young as two can be assessed for autism. If you see signs of autism, don’t wait to get expert help that can make a difference. Get started now at a Behavioral Health Center of Excellence with the highest accreditation possible!
