Bella Ramsey has weighed in on a popular nickname often associated with their Last of Us co-star, Pedro Pascal. Despite the internet’s widespread affection for calling Pascal “Daddy,” Ramsey recently opened up about their discomfort with the title.
Bella Ramsey talks about Pedro Pascal being internet’s ‘Daddy’
Bella Ramsey has opened up on Pedro Pascal being dubbed “Daddy” by the internet. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Ramsey expressed discomfort with the internet’s use of that title, saying they felt protective of their Last of Us co-star and how he is perceived by fans.
Ramsey said, “I felt worried for him. I want to protect him from that whole joke of becoming the internet’s daddy. I was like, ‘I don’t want everyone to refer to you as that and see you as that. You’re so much more.’”
The pair formed a close bond during the filming of The Last of Us and even connected over their shared past with Game of Thrones. They have developed a friendship that goes beyond their on-screen roles as Joel and Ellie.
Meanwhile, Pascal, who rose to global fame through roles in Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last of Us, has embraced the term publicly. During a 2023 Hollywood Reporter roundtable, he explained that the nickname likely came from the father figures he has portrayed.
Pascal said, “[The daddy thing] seems a little role-related, I think. There was a period where the Mandalorian is very daddy to baby Grogu. Joel is very daddy to Ellie. These are daddy parts. That’s what it is.” In a lighter moment during Vanity Fair’s 2022 Lie Detector series, he leaned into the joke. The actor said, “Daddy is a state of mind. I’m your daddy.”
Ramsey’s comments come as Pascal continues to make waves in the entertainment industry, with his next big role as Reed Richards, aka Mister Fantastic, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, hitting theaters on July 25, 2025.