'The Last of Us' fans are gushing over Pedro Pascal's touching letter to Bella Ramsey
Cue instant tears.

The perfect Joel and Ellie
HBO’s “The Last of Us” has been considered a wild success by both fresh audiences and fans of the video game on which it's based. This is thanks in no small part to the heartfelt chemistry shared between actors Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who play Joel, a father haunted by tragedy, and Ellie, a young girl he must protect through a post-apocalyptic, zombie-ridden world.
That father-daughter bond apparently exists offscreen as well. On Mar 6 HBO’s Twitter account posted a behind-the-scenes video where Pascal showered his co-star with praise, saying, "I call her Bellie and she’s my blessing. It was a match made in heaven, and I love her.” That video was then retweeted by Ramsey, who wrote, “HOW I MISS YOU I really really miss you. My Pedge.” Sweetness overload, am I right?
But that exchange has nothing on a truly touching letter Pascal wrote to Ramsey towards the end of filming Season 1, which is leaving fans in absolute tears.
The letter was first mentioned by Ramsey in October 2022 in an interview with USA Today. However, it has taken on new life after resurfacing on TikTok and being viewed over 2 million times.
The letter reads: "How interesting that something so huge and life-changing should happen so early in your life and so late in mine."
@onceuponintatooine I am not emotional, you are. We need to protect Pedro at all costs. @Once Upon In Tatooine #pedropascal #bellaramsey #thelastofus ♬ The Last of Us - Gustavo Santaolalla
The letter poignantly illustrated how both actors came into their iconic roles at completely different chapters of their careers. Ramsey and Pascal each arguably made their breakthrough during “Game of Thrones,” but Pascal, at 47, had already been pursuing the dream for much of his life before becoming a household name. Ramsey, by comparison, is only 19 and already a star.
“I thought it was a really sweet observation and I just had the best time,” Ramsey told USA Today.
She’s not the only one to think so. Fans flooded the comments section sharing how the letter made a huge impact.
“I’m gonna cry until I puke oh my god,” one person wrote. “This has the same vibes of your dad teaching you something and ending it with ‘I’m not always gonna be here.’”
Another added, “I’m gonna have a breakdown over this now.”
Seriously, read these comments. People are losing it.
“I cried myself to sleep and woke up and this video was still playing 😳.”
“Oh well that made my heart bleed.”
“I'm totally not crying rn i love their relationship sm.”
“No why am i literally in tears right now this Pedro pascal effect has to be studied 😰😭😭😰😰😰😰😭😭😭😩😩😩.”
As we approach the season finale airing on March 12, perhaps it is a good thing to soak up all the Joel and Ellie goodness we can get. It’s lovely to see that Pascal and Ramsey are enjoying themselves just as much as everybody else is enjoying their performance.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."