Bella Ramsey received some "beautiful messages" after sharing their autism diagnosis.

The 21-year-old star was diagnosed with autism after a crew member on The Last of Us — the hit HBO drama — spotted some symptoms of the condition, and Bella has received lots of supportive messages since sharing their diagnosis with the public.

Bella — who stars alongside Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us — told Extra: "I've had some really beautiful messages from people, people that I've been able to talk to about that and give some hope and encouragement to, which has been really amazing. 

"Like, young people who are struggling who have just been diagnosed and don't know what it means — it's been really nice to sort of feel like I've been a bit of a light to those people." 

Bella loves that they can now feel like themselves, without having to worry about perceptions.

The TV star explained: "It's just cool to be here and be myself like I always have been but now like people know if I'm a bit weird like why."

Bella previously claimed that their condition actually helps them on set.

Speaking to British Vogue magazine, Bella said: "I've always been watching and learning from people. Having to learn more manually how to socialise and interact with the people around me has helped me with acting."

Bella's work life has also helped them to establish a rigid routine.

The former Game of Thrones star explained: "I have a call time, and I'm told what to wear, how to stand, where to stand and what to eat."

Bella has actually found their diagnosis to be "freeing". The actor added: "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."

Bella came out as non-binary in 2023, but they still feel as though they're discovering their own identity.

Bella explained: "The label of being autistic has been so helpful to me because that's helped me to understand myself, but gender and sexuality-wise, labels do not feel comfy for me in any capacity, because I feel like I'm putting myself into a box. I feel trapped."

Source: Bang