In an appearance on CBS Mornings from January 7, 2026, Sophie Turner opened up about her transformative journey playing Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones. This role spanned over eight seasons and nearly a full decade of her life. This clearly had an impact on her as a person as well.
Quick read:
• Sophie Turner acknowledges growing up with Sansa Stark
• She describes it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
• She possesses immense gratitude for the role
Credits: HBO
Growing up together
Describing her appearance on the show as Sansa Stark, Sophie exclaimed,
“What an arc. I don’t think I’ll ever get a role like that again where I get 10 years to form a character and I grew up with her as well. We were both 13 when we started, and I just got the chance to grow and grow and grow with her.”
A dream that feels like a lifetime ago
Cast at just 13 years old in 2009, Turner watched Sansa evolve from a starry-eyed, sheltered girl dreaming of knights and princes into a leader who survived betrayals, abuse, and war to become ‘Queen in the North.’ The parallel between Sansa’s maturation and Turner’s own adolescence created a bond for her. She acknowleged saying,
“I’ll never get an opportunity like that again. She made me who I am today so I feel so lucky to have that part of my life. But it feels like a dream now. I barely remember it. It feels like a lifetime ago.”
The rarity of such a long-term commitment is what makes Sansa’s story and Turner’s performance so unique. Few actors get to embody a character through childhood, teenage years, and adulthood, allowing real-life experiences to infuse authenticity into every season. Sansa’s slow-burn growth from naive victim to empowered survivor mirrored Turner’s own path to maturity, turning the role into a formative chapter rather than just a job.
Looking back, Turner’s gratitude shines through, even as the memories fade. The series may have ended in 2019, but its impact endures, for fans who watched Sansa’s journey week by week, and for the actress who grew up in her shadow.
