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Rise to Fame
Lyanna Mormont had one scene on the page. Ramsey, a preteen out of Nottingham's Television Workshop, walked into the Game of Thrones audition and came out with a recurring role. The showrunners expanded the character on the spot. The Hollywood Reporter called Ramsey season six's breakout, which still feels like an understatement watching a kid in chainmail out-intimidate the entire Stark army. That scene settled a career.
In the Spotlight
The Last of Us season two proved Ramsey can hold a prestige lead. It also proved the internet will review-bomb anything with a queer storyline. Season two's audience score on Rotten Tomatoes sat at 37% while critics held at 91%, and the backlash was largely organized around Ellie's same-sex relationship. Emmy nominations kept rolling in anyway. Ramsey's response to the haters: 'You don't have to watch it.' That's about as bothered as they get.
Side Notes
Ramsey got their autism diagnosis at 18, partway through filming The Last of Us, and described it as freeing rather than surprising. They'd already left mainstream school at 12 because the structure didn't work for their brain, switching to an online programme. The Television Workshop in Nottingham that launched them also trained Vicky McClure and Jack O'Connell. Not many come out the other side leading HBO shows.