'The Last of Us' Original Ellie Actor Says Bella Ramsey Is 'Perfect' for the Role

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Original Ellie voice actor Ashley Johnson passed the torch to Bella Ramsey in HBO's 'The Last of Us,' and she thinks Ramsey is perfect for the job.

Published on January 19, 2023

Bella Ramsey stars as Ellie Williams in HBO‘s The Last of Us, an adaptation of Naughty Dog’s 2013 hit video game. She and her co-star, Pedro Pascal (who plays Joel Miller), received praise for their performances in the premiere episode on Jan. 15. However, some fans still aren’t sure Ramsey was the best casting choice. Ashley Johnson, the original voice actor for Ellie in The Last of Us game, recently gave her stamp of approval.

Bella Ramsey’s casting as Ellie in ‘The Last of Us’ received some criticism

HBO officially revealed in February 2021 that Bella Ramsey, most known for her role as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, would play Ellie in The Last of Us TV series. Co-creator Craig Mazin has since revealed that more than 100 actors were considered, including Maisie Williams and Kaitlyn Dever. However, Ramsey landed the part due to her ability to capture Ellie’s essence and her age.

Unfortunately, many fans had one complaint about the casting: Ramsey doesn’t look like Ellie in the game. (Pascal received the same criticism initially due to his lack of a proper Joel beard.) The in-game version of Ellie was designed to look like a younger version of Ashley Johnson since she voiced the character and provided the motion capture. However, Johnson is now in her late 30s, so she would not have been an appropriate casting choice to play 14-year-old Ellie in the TV series.

Many fans initially requested Dever or Elliot Page for the role since they look more similar to the character. However, Dever is now 26 years old and Page is 35, so they didn’t fit the casting requirements.

Original Ellie actor Ashley Johnson gave her stamp of approval to Bella Ramsey

Despite the backlash, Johnson happily passed the torch to Ramsey. While attending The Last of Us premiere on Jan. 9, the original Ellie actor sang Ramsey’s praises, as seen in footage shared by PlayStation and Naughty Dog.

“She’s so spot on. I was kind of taken aback when I saw her because I was like, ‘She’s … She’s Ellie.’ She has the essence of Ellie. And I love her as an actress anyway. And I think she is so perfect for this role and I’m so impressed by her,” Johnson said.

Ashley Johnson will appear in ‘The Last of Us’ on HBO, but in a different role

Johnson might not be reprising her role as Ellie in The Last of Us, but the original actor will take on a different role. She’s set to make a cameo as Ellie’s mom, Anna Williams, who died when Ellie was born. It’s not clear yet how often Johnson will appear on screen, but the flashback scenes will likely provide some key details about Ellie.

“That I get to be Ellie’s mom is … phew. That’s my baby,” Johnson said at the premiere.

The original Joel actor, Troy Baker, is also set to play a different role in the TV series. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mazin shared why it was so important to have them involved.

“Ashley Johnson is in her 30s and clearly not gonna play a 14-year-old girl, but it was important for us to find space for them [in the show] because they matter,” Mazin explained. “It’s not just about fan service. It’s a dramatic genetic connection between the game and the show. They needed to be there.”

New episodes of The Last of Us drop every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. Check out the full release schedule for more details.

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