Maisie Williams skyrocketed to international fame thanks to her portrayal of Arya Stark, the fiercest heroine in HBO's Game of Thrones. One might think that landing such a role would be nothing but an absolute dream come true, but Williams herself has admitted that the experience was both a blessing and a curse.
Williams spoke candidly about her time on Game of Thrones, revealing her true feelings about growing up with Arya. Having to play a key character at such a young age was difficult for her, especially since it was her debut role and her first time in front of a camera ever. Robert Sterne, the casting director, says she was impressive from the very moment she stepped into the audition room, and that since her casting, the show's writers revelled in writing more for her character. This placed a huge responsibility on Williams to deliver, which, at 12 years old, was incredibly daunting.
In a recent interview with British GQ, Williams recalled the day she was handed a bra in her costume trailer. She says it was the first time she felt like she began distancing herself from Arya Stark, who, up until that point, had been portrayed as a violent and tomboyish figure in the show. She says that moment was when she realized that she was becoming a woman, and more in the traditional sense compared to Arya, who was definitely far from a prim and proper lady. She even said she resented Arya at one point because she felt like she couldn't fully express who she was becoming in real life. It also made her resent her body because it didn't seem aligned with the piece of her that the world celebrated.
On top of that pubertal confusion, she had to deal with her newfound fame, which grew at an exponential rate upon her debut and reached astronomical levels in Game of Thrones season 8. Williams admits that it was very challenging for her to adjust to the attention she was getting since it all happened seemingly overnight. She particularly misses the part of her old life when there wasn't pressure to do simple things like go shopping or wear whatever clothes she wanted. Perhaps that is why she is so passionate when she speaks about her new hometown, which is an hour away from London. She says there are no people around, and that makes her feel like she's in heaven.
When the interviewer asked her if there are any parts of Game of Thrones that she misses, she sharply answered, "Can I say none of it?" Williams explained that she will always look back at her experience fondly and with much pride, but that she's more focused on what lies ahead. At the very least, fans can take some comfort in the fact that she isn't totally opposed to reprising the role of Arya should a spin-off be made.
Game of Thrones is now streaming on HBO Max.
Source: British GQ