The Last of Us’ Bella Ramsey to lead second series of BBC prison drama, Time
"It’s such an honour to be Kelsey," the 19-year-old star has said.
The star of the HBO hit, The Last of Us, Bella Ramsey, has landed another lead role. This time they’ll be leading the second series of the BBC drama, Time.
The new series will once again look at life in a modern British women’s prison. Alongside Ramsey will be Doctor Who‘s Jodie Whittaker. Tamara Lawrence and Siobhan Finneran round out the principal cast of the three-part series.
Finneran will be reprising her role as prison chaplain, Marie-Louise. Meanwhile, Ramsey, Whittaker, and Lawrence will star as Kelsey, Orla, and Abi respectively.
A synopsis reads: “An original new story told through the lens of three very different inmates, Time is a moving and high-stakes portrayal of life inside a women’s prison.
“Arriving at Carlingford Prison on the same day, Kelsey, Orla, and Abi are thrown together to face an unfamiliar world.
“But even with the ever-present threat of violence within its walls, they discover that an unexpected sense of community, and a shared understanding, still might be possible.”
Commenting on their casting Ramsey said they’re happy to join the project. They added: “It’s such an honour to be Kelsey, I’m really excited to experience the world through her for a few months.”
The series’ creator and co-writer Jimmy McGovern commented: “This is the best cast I have ever seen assembled for any drama of mine. The best crew too. I am so, so looking forward to it.”
An average of 11.6 million people viewed Time‘s first three episodes starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham. It won the BAFTA TV award for best mini-series in 2022.
Filming will take place in and around Liverpool soon.
Ramsey recently won plaudits for their role as Ellie in the apocalyptic drama, The Last of Us.
They recently delivered the heartbreaking news that it’s going to be “a while” before we see them and Pedro Pascal in season two.
“I think we’ll probably shoot at the end of this year, beginning of next,” they explained on The Jonathan Ross Show. “So it’ll probably be the end of 2024, early 2025.”
Though the wait feels long, if the show stays loyal to its video game source, season two will include a substantial lesbian storyline.
Many celebrated the show for its queer storylines. Episode three, which centered on the gay love story of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), won high praise.
Meanwhile, episode seven touched on Ellie’s romance with her best friend Riley.
Time series one is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The Last of Us is streaming on NowTV, HBO Max, and Sky Atlantic.