Bella Ramsey has stated that gendered acting categories remain necessary to ensure recognition for women in film and television, even as they question how performers outside binary identities are meant to be included in such systems.
The Last of Us actor, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, spoke about the subject during a recent episode of The Louis Theroux Podcast. The discussion addressed the reaction to their 2023 Emmy nomination in the Lead Actress category. Ramsey said they understood the need to preserve recognition for women in acting categories and did not take offense at being nominated as an actress.
“I didn’t find it insulting,” they said. “I think it’s so important that recognition for women in the industry is preserved. I think that it is really important that we have a female category and a male category.”
Ramsey explained that they have spent time thinking through how award systems might include performers like themselves more effectively. They acknowledged that there is no easy solution and that any potential change would involve practical and conceptual challenges. “I don’t have the answer, and I wish that there was something that was an easy way around it,” they said.
During the conversation, Ramsey considered a hypothetical approach based on the gender of the character portrayed. “You could do it for the character portrayed, like best performance in a female character,” they said. “But then what about when there are nonbinary characters onscreen, which is few and far between at the moment? Then where does a nonbinary person playing a nonbinary character—where do they fit into?”
This line of questioning was not presented as a proposal, but as part of their ongoing attempt to imagine a workable alternative. “I’ve literally sat and tried to think my way to the answer and haven’t got there,” Ramsey said.
At the 2023 Emmy Awards, Ramsey became the second nonbinary actor to be nominated in a Lead Actress category and the third nonbinary performer to be nominated for an Emmy. They were recognized for their role as Ellie in HBO’s The Last of Us, a character that carries both physical vulnerability and hardened resilience, shaped by a post-apocalyptic world where trust is dangerous and survival is constant.
The nomination prompted a mix of public responses, some supportive and some critical. Host Louis Theroux referenced that reaction during the podcast, asking Ramsey whether they found the gendered label attached to the nomination uncomfortable or offensive. Ramsey responded with calm clarity, indicating that their focus remains on larger structural questions rather than on individual terminology.
They explained that language around gender and identity only became something they were asked to articulate publicly once the show premiered. “I never thought about pronouns really until season one of The Last of Us was coming out,” they said. “It was a question that suddenly I had to choose what pronoun I wanted people to write about me with. I was so stressed out about it because I didn’t know and I didn’t really care.”
The shift from personal identity to public label brought attention to the disconnect between how Ramsey sees themselves and how others define them, especially in media and awards coverage. When asked about the word “actress,” they shared that while it does not provoke anger or distress, it doesn’t feel accurate. “I have a sort of gut, ‘That’s not quite right’ instinct to it,” they said. “But I just don’t take it too seriously… It doesn’t feel like an attack on my identity getting a thing with ‘actress.’ It’s just a funny thing that doesn’t really fit.”
They added that while they are personally relaxed about the terms used for them, they recognize that these issues are significant for others. “I know how important it is for other people,” they said. “For me, it’s not as important right now. It doesn’t really matter to me. I don’t really care.”
Their approach to these subjects reflects a position shaped by recent professional experience, as The Last of Us elevated them into a global spotlight. The success of the show made Ramsey one of the few nonbinary actors to be widely recognized for a leading performance in a major series, and one of even fewer to be included in formal industry nominations.
Theroux also raised the idea that some awards organizations have begun eliminating gendered categories. The conversation touched on concerns voiced by others in the industry that such changes can lead to an imbalance in nominations, with some pointing out that women have at times been underrepresented in gender-neutral acting categories at other shows.
Ramsey did not comment directly on those outcomes but restated their belief that categories for male and female performers are still necessary. They acknowledged that the current model leaves out people who don’t identify as either. “Where do nonbinary or gender-nonconforming people fit into that?” they asked.
The question remains unresolved, and Ramsey did not suggest a specific restructuring of award show categories. Instead, they focused on naming the issue and the difficulty in identifying a system that would avoid exclusion while still protecting visibility for performers who belong to historically overlooked groups.
The interview also covered the early stages of Ramsey’s work on The Last of Us. They said that it was during this period, when their public visibility increased, that conversations around pronouns and identity began to surface in interviews and articles. They described that time as disorienting, saying that the pressure to choose language that aligned with who they are felt unfamiliar and unnecessary.
In terms of labels used in press and publicity, Ramsey noted that although some terms feel off, their personal comfort has remained steady. “I’m very comfortable in, like, who I am,” they said. “But I think that I just don’t take it too seriously in terms of like it doesn’t feel like an attack on my identity.”
They emphasized that while these questions may not weigh heavily on them right now, that’s not the case for everyone. “It’s not really a thing for me,” they said. “But I know that it is for other people, and that matters.”
Ramsey’s film and television work continues to grow in scope, with their performance in The Last of Us earning consistent critical attention. As more nonbinary actors take on leading roles in television and film, questions about recognition, nomination processes, and language will likely continue to arise.
Ramsey remains one of the few public figures in entertainment openly discussing how current award structures affect nonbinary performers. Their comments add to a developing conversation that includes actors, showrunners, and award organizers seeking to understand how to acknowledge a broader range of performers without erasing groups that fought to be recognized.
