The Last of Us Star Bella Ramsey Emphasizes Importance of Having Male and Female Award Categories: 'Recognition for...'

Bella Ramsey, star of The Last of Us, spoke about gendered categories in award shows during an episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast. Ramsey, who identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, shared their thoughts on the ongoing shift toward gender-neutral categories.

While some award shows like the Gotham Awards and Spirit Awards have removed Best Actor and Best Actress in favor of gender-neutral categories, Bella Ramsey believes that male and female categories still matter.

“I don’t have the answer and I wish that there was something that was an easy way around it,” Ramsey said. “But I think that it is really important that we have a female category and a male category,” she added.

Ramsey emphasized the need to preserve recognition for women in the industry. They stated that although the current system isn’t perfect, removing gendered categories entirely could reduce visibility for women in film and television. They said that it’s important that recognition for women in the industry is preserved.

The Emmy-nominated actor reflected on possible solutions, such as a category like best performance in a female character, but pointed out that this could raise challenges for performances involving non-binary characters.

Although Ramsey does not identify as female, they were nominated in the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category at the Emmys for their role in the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us. When asked how they felt about the 'actress' label, Ramsey said, “I have a guttural, ‘That’s not quite right,’ instinct to [being called an actress]. But I just don’t take it too seriously…it doesn’t feel like an attack on my identity.”

Ramsey said they are currently okay with being placed in the actress category, especially when it comes to formal recognition like the Emmys.

During the podcast, Ramsey spoke about how their identity has evolved over the years. They shared that they felt more like a little boy than a little girl while growing up and often saw themselves as more masculine or on that side of the spectrum. At this point in their life, they said they don’t feel like they have access to femininity.

Ramsey added that they used to call themselves a tomboy, but it wasn’t just about being a boyish girl; they felt like they were always somewhere in between, leaning more toward the boys’ side.

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