Storm Reid

The Last Of Us star Storm Reid praises the show for championing queer stories.

“I know people will think what they want to think. Love is beautiful, and the fact that people have things to say about it, it’s just nonsense.” There’s so many other things to worry about in life. If you’re concerned about who I love, then I need you to get your priorities straight. I just don’t—I will never understand it. I don’t get it.”

In an interview with Glamour, actress Storm Reid detailed the "honour" she felt by playing the role of Riley in The Last Of Us.

[The Last Of Us star Nico Parker on filming for the role, navigating Hollywood and the hot topic of nepotism](/article/nico-parker-the-last-of-us) Storm's career work history at only nineteen years old is beyond impressive, and she has definitely cemented herself as the future of Hollywood, not just lending her talents in front of the camera but also behind, thanks to her production company, A Seed & Wings. Storm's work history proved just why she was chosen for the role, having cemented her star status in films such as A Wrinkle in Time, The Invisible Man and the award-winning series, When They See Us. [Storm Reid](https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/rising-stars-2023) is an acting powerhouse, so it's no surprise that she left her mark on episode seven of the smash-hit Sky Atlantic/Now series, [The Last Of Us](https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/best-tv-shows-2023). And the emotions were only heightened as we were finally given further insight into Ellie's previous life, which involved getting to know Riley Abel. With Ellie being widely known as an immune character, it was obvious what Riley's fate would be.

After Bella Ramsey spoke out against homophobic backlash, people just kept coming for the queers, and Reid isn't taking it.

And furthermore, the complexity of what Ellie and Riley’s relationship is I find just so beautiful.” They had, after all, gotten very angry after episode three, “ [Long Long Time](https://gizmodo.com/last-of-us-episode-3-recap-pedro-pascal-nick-offerman-1850021207),” centered on a gay love story, [something Ramsey addressed after its release](https://gizmodo.com/the-last-of-us-bella-ramsey-review-bomb-lgbtq-season-2-1850109818). Near the [end of the episode](https://gizmodo.com/last-of-us-episode-6-recap-kin-hbo-max-pascal-ramsey-1850120695), they kiss, just before a tear-jerker ending.

Storm Reid, who appears in The Last of Us' 7th episode, claps back at homophobic critics.

I think despite what people are going to say, if they don't like it, I think there are going to be a lot more people that appreciate it." I just don't — I will never understand it. It was just finding the nuances, finding her quirks, finding her optimism and how she moves through the world and takes up space. Reid said, "I think Bella put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago: "If you don't like it, don't watch." Episode 7, titled "Left Behind," [jumps back to a time before Joel and Ellie's cross-country journey](https://movieweb.com/the-last-of-us-where-will-joel-story-go/). Reid initially revealed how she approached her character Riley, who only appeared in a single episode of the show.

Storm Reid plays Bella Ramsey's onscreen crush in the latest episode of HBO's 'The Last of Us,' based on the popular video game of the same name.

“The way that that is shown and translated into a story like this is so cool.” “If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you.” “People will think what they want to think. “It becomes real between action and cut.” A lot more people that feel represented and seen and heard,” Reid told Variety. [Variety](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-storm-reid-bella-ramsey-left-behind-1235534952/) published on Sunday, Reid preemptively dismissed anyone who might take issue with the young-love story at the heart of her debut episode.

Reid's advice to fans who don't want to see Ellie and Riley's romance play out in episode seven's 'Left Behind': "Don't watch."

[fighting for their happily](https://uproxx.com/tv/what-illness-did-frank-have-in-the-last-of-us/) ever after amid the fungal apocalypse to rave reviews from critics and more than a few zero-star ratings from the prejudiced crowd. [The Last of Us ](https://uproxx.com/tag/the-last-of-us/)star Storm Reid has some choice words for any trolls who might be thinking about [review-bombing](https://uproxx.com/tv/the-last-of-us-review-bombing-bill-and-frank-episode/) the latest episode of the HBO drama: Get over it. [Episode seven’s “Left Behind”](https://uproxx.com/tv/the-last-of-us-episode-7-recap-left-behind/) gave fans some much-needed backstory on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and her childhood in the Boston QZ.

Actress Storm Reid opened up to Entertainment Weekly about homophobic comments surrounding the queer relationships in HBO's "The Last of Us."

Despite the backlash, Storm's performance in the heartbreaking episode of The Last of Us was outstanding. The actor opened up to [Entertainment Weekly](https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-riley-storm-reid-homophobic-backlash/) about homophobic reactions to queer relationships in the series and used comments from her costar Bella Ramsey to reinforce the importance of sharing queer experiences in film and on tv. Love is beautiful, and the fact that people have things to say about it, it's just nonsense. That's what makes good storytelling because we are telling stories of people who are taking up space in the world." "There's so many other things to worry about in life. "We're telling stories of people's experiences, and that's what I live for.

But while HBO's adaptation continues to rack up praise as one of the best new shows of 2023, an unfortunate byproduct of TV having a broader reach than video ...

That’s what makes good storytelling, because we are telling stories of people who are taking up space in the world. We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. I think despite what people are going to say, if they don’t like it, I think there are going to be a lot more people that appreciate it. Regardless, Reid has a message of her own for all the haters out there. The storyline revealed how Ellie got infected with the Cordyceps virus. But while HBO’s adaptation continues to rack up praise as one of the best new shows of 2023, an unfortunate byproduct of TV having a broader reach than video games is that it’s causing the franchise to experience bigotry on a much larger scale.

'Euphoria' star becomes key character in episode seven of the HBO epic.

Having only just shown their true feelings for one another, they are left with the prospect of becoming infected themselves. It’s really refreshing and fun to see.” At one point, the best friends kiss, and dance together on a counter top.

Storm Reid has joined her The Last of Us co-star Bella Ramsey in denouncing the show's anti-LGBTQ+ viewers.

I think that comes from a place of defiance.” “We are on the tightrope of a friendship and having a crush, or is it a crush? Although they accept their fate and agree to sit with each other as the infection spreads, viewers are aware that Ellie is immune – meaning she has to watch her love turn into a zombified creature. Is it just flirtatious energy? We’re telling stories of people’s experiences, and that’s what I live for. If you’re concerned about who I love, then I need you to get your priorities straight.

Euphoria's Storm Reid discusses what attracted her to the role of Riley The Last of Us, and how she handled the heavy episode.

Reid also discussed Riley’s motivations for joining the Fireflies, saying that in her attempts to make a mark on the world through these efforts, she finds her own sense of purpose. ‘People are fighting for their lives and they’re fighting to stay alive… you can find yourself in [Episode 7] – and all the episodes really – but specifically this episode. Reid spoke of scenes between her and co-star Bella Ramsey (Ellie) as having a childlike, joyous nature, despite also being coupled with the more challenging emotional beats of the episode’s conclusion. You can see yourself within [Ellie and Riley], and what they’re going through.’ It was an opportunity for Riley and Ellie to enjoy their adolescence. No matter people’s different circumstances or experiences, I think people will be able to find something that they can point to that resonates with them.’ Whilst Reid understood Riley’s character and knew audiences loved her, she wanted to incorporate elements of her own personality into her performance. ‘Bella Ramsey is a great human being, an incredible talent,’ she said. She’s the best friend of Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and is later revealed as a romantic interest. Episode 7 presents a first extensive glimpse into Ellie’s backstory growing up in the Boston Quarantine Zone, set shortly before discovering her immunity and meeting protagonist Joel (Pedro Pascal). I think it’s so beautiful.’