Amid constant trolling online following the release of The Last of Us Season 2, actress Bella Ramsey has opened up about how they were ‘fixated’ on the way their character Ellie looks in the video games and relentlessly questioned themself for their looks.

The second season is based on Part II of the video game series, which is set four years after the first game, and shows Ellie as older, more resilient and physically stronger. Ramsey, 21, has been the subject of harsh online criticism and ridicule from fans for not resembling Ellie from the video game.

While hardcore lovers of the beloved Naughty Dog video game claim that Ramsey doesn’t have the right “body shape” like Ellie, others have accused HBO of biased casting, sharing the names of actresses they have in mind who would be a better fit.

During a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Ramsey, who had their breakthrough role as young noblewoman Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, revealed how online trolling has been affecting them, leading them to deactivate social media platforms like X and Reddit.

Ramsey underwent intensive physical training, such as boxing, jiujitsu and weight training for their role. After the filming for the series began, the actress alternated between shooting and stunt training.

“It was cool to feel really … capable,” Ramsey said. “But I got quite fixated on the way that Ellie looks in the game and her physical stature and, to be specific, the muscle definition in her arms. And I didn’t look like that. My body type isn’t that. I talked about this a lot with Craig, and he never put that expectation on me. He wanted me to look strong and feel strong, and that was in how I carried myself, my posture and the confidence you have. It was a challenge for me to let myself off the hook for not looking computer-generated,” they added.

Ramsey, who deactivated their social media accounts a few months back before the promotions for The Last of Us Season 2 began, explained, “I always knew that I’d [deactivate] it one day and never even really wanted to have social media in the first place,” Ramsey says. “It wasn’t like this big dramatic thing, but there was an element of it that was thinking about the show coming out for season two. If I just avoid Twitter and Reddit, which now I’m doing, then everything’s totally fine.”

The events in The Last of Us Season 1 unfolded two decades after the collapse of civilisation. Joel Miller, a resilient survivor, is tasked with escorting Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of a harsh quarantine zone. What starts as a simple assignment evolves into a harsh and emotional journey as they navigate a world overrun by zombies infected with a parasitic fungus.

Season 1 of the series ended with Miller saving Ellie from a medical procedure that was going to kill her, but provide a cure for the fungal infection spreading across the world. In order to save her, Miller went on a killing spree and lied to her about it.

Four years have passed in Season 2, which released on April 14. Fans were left emotionally ravaged after the ruthless execution of Pascal’s character Joel in the second episode of Season 2 at the hands of Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby.

Episode 3 of The Last of Us Season 2 is slated to premiere on JioHotstar on April 27.