Bella Ramsey vs Isabela Merced: How Do They Compare?
Two seasons into HBO’s The Last of Us, Ellie and Dina have become one of the most-searched on-screen pairings on television. Which means Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced get Googled together constantly — and the single most common question about either of them is some version of “how tall are they?”
Fair question. On screen they look close in height, with Ramsey usually the shorter of the two. Off screen the gap is small but real. Here’s the full breakdown — heights, builds, careers, and how each one actually trains.
Image: Harald Krichel / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Ramsey, born in Nottingham, England in 2003, is the younger of the pair and the shorter one. They’re non-binary and use they/them pronouns, something they confirmed publicly in 2023 while promoting the first season of The Last of Us. Ramsey has a compact, slight frame — the kind that made them completely believable as a 14-year-old Ellie in season one, and then required some creative work from the costume and lighting departments to age up for season two’s five-year time jump.
Image: Bea Phi / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Merced was born in Cleveland, Ohio to a Peruvian mother and an American father, and she’s been working since she was a kid — Broadway at 10, Nickelodeon at 13, a Transformers movie at 15. She’s a couple of inches taller than Ramsey and carries noticeably more muscle, partly because she’s spent the last few years stacking action roles.
Side-by-Side Stats
| Stat | Bella Ramsey | Isabela Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 1 in (155 cm) | 5 ft 3 in (160 cm) |
| Weight | Approx. 99 lbs (45 kg) | Approx. 119 lbs (54 kg) |
| Age | 22 | 24 |
| Date of Birth | September 30, 2003 | July 10, 2001 |
| Build | Petite, slim | Petite, athletic |
| Eye Color | Hazel | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Light Brown | Dark Brown |
| Net Worth (est.) | $2 million | $3 million |
Height Comparison
Standing flat-footed next to each other, Merced has about two inches on Ramsey. It’s a small difference — the kind that disappears the second one of them puts on boots — but it’s visible in joint press photos from the The Last of Us season two tour, where Merced consistently reads as the taller one.
Both are well under average. The average woman in the UK is about 5 ft 4 in, and in the US it’s about 5 ft 4 in as well. Ramsey sits around three inches below that; Merced about an inch. Put either of them beside Pedro Pascal, who’s around 5 ft 11 in, and the gap is obvious in every two-shot from season one.
Ramsey’s height has actually been a practical asset. Casting a genuinely small actor as Ellie kept the character’s physical vulnerability intact — she has to be someone who can’t win a straight fight, and Ramsey sells that without acting it.
Career Comparison
Ramsey broke through at 11 as Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, a role that was supposed to be a handful of scenes and turned into a fan-favorite arc across three seasons. From there: the title role in CBBC’s The Worst Witch, voice work as Hilda in the Netflix animated series, His Dark Materials, Lena Dunham’s Catherine Called Birdy, and Becoming Elizabeth. Then Ellie in The Last of Us, which earned them an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2023.
Merced’s résumé is longer and more scattered across genres. She started as Isabela Moner — the name change to her mother’s maiden name came in 2019 — with Evita on Broadway, then Nickelodeon’s 100 Things to Do Before High School. Film credits include Transformers: The Last Knight, Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Instant Family, the title role in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Sweet Girl, Father of the Bride, Madame Web, Turtles All the Way Down, and Alien: Romulus. She’s also a singer with Spanish and English releases, including the 2020 EP The Better Half of Me. Next up: Hawkgirl in the DCU’s Supergirl.
Fitness and Body Approach
Ramsey has been openly critical of celebrity gym culture and has talked publicly about recovering from an eating disorder as a teenager. They’ve said they deliberately avoid tying self-worth to body image, and they don’t post workout content. Their physical prep for The Last of Us has been role-specific rather than aesthetic — stunt rehearsal, fight choreography, and the stamina work required for long shoot days in Alberta and Vancouver. Ramsey has also spoken about being diagnosed as autistic during production of season one, and about how the structure of a film set helps.
Merced’s approach is the opposite in tone. She’s an actual dancer with years of training, and that shows in how she moves on screen. She’s done fight choreography for Sweet Girl, physical prep for Alien: Romulus, and she’s been visibly building strength for the Hawkgirl role, which involves wire work and a wingsuit rig. Her training skews toward functional strength and conditioning rather than bodybuilding — she needs to be able to fly on a harness for twelve hours, not hit a pose.
Key Differences
- Height: Merced is about two inches taller at 5 ft 3 in vs Ramsey’s 5 ft 1 in.
- Build: Merced carries more muscle from dance and action training; Ramsey has a slighter, leaner frame.
- Age: Merced is about two years older, born July 2001 vs September 2003.
- Background: Ramsey is English, from Nottingham. Merced is American, born in Cleveland with Peruvian heritage, and bilingual.
- Attitude to fitness: Ramsey actively pushes back on gym and body-image culture. Merced trains regularly and treats it as part of the job.
- Second skill set: Merced is a working recording artist with released music. Ramsey’s extra credit is voice acting.
- Pronouns: Ramsey uses they/them. Merced uses she/her.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is taller, Bella Ramsey or Isabela Merced?
Isabela Merced is taller at 5 ft 3 in (160 cm), compared to Bella Ramsey at 5 ft 1 in (155 cm).
What is the height difference between Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced?
The gap is about 2 inches (5 cm). It is visible in joint press photos but disappears the moment either wears boots or heels.
Who is older, Bella Ramsey or Isabela Merced?
Isabela Merced is older. She was born July 10, 2001 (age 24), while Bella Ramsey was born September 30, 2003 (age 22) — roughly two years apart.
Who weighs more, Bella Ramsey or Isabela Merced?
Isabela Merced weighs more at around 119 lbs (54 kg) versus Bella Ramsey’s approximately 99 lbs (45 kg), largely due to Merced’s more muscular, action-trained build.
Who has the higher net worth, Bella Ramsey or Isabela Merced?
Isabela Merced is estimated at around $3 million, slightly ahead of Bella Ramsey’s estimated $2 million.
How do Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced compare to Pedro Pascal?
Both are much shorter than their co-star Pedro Pascal, who stands around 5 ft 11 in — a gap of 8 to 10 inches that is obvious in every two-shot from The Last of Us.
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Last Updated: October 6, 2026 | Source: Healthy Celeb
