Maisie Williams has grown up playing Arya Stark. Having auditioned for the role at 12 years old, the now 20-year-old actress reflected on her personal and professional journey to Highsnobiety Magazine.
“For a long time I was just so in love with Arya,” Williams said, admitting that it was sometimes hard to find scripts at the same level after getting her break on Game of Thrones. “I just thought she’s the best thing ever and that no one else could touch her, and she was just incredible.” Williams still loves Arya, of course — Highsnobiety notes that she talks about Arya as if she’s a real person — but with Game of Thrones coming to an end, it’s time to think of the future.
Also, getting famous at such a young age came with its challenges, including getting exposed to a fair amount of cyberbullying. But Williams has learned to take that in stride, too. “You don’t really get a day off from being famous.” One thing that helps is following the example set by castmates like Lena Headey (Cersei) and devoting herself to charitable endeavors, especially those concerning animal welfare. “If we all fight for the same thing, then all these other causes don’t get solved.”
Like many of her fellow cast members, Williams is often compared to her character offscreen. And while some, like Headey, might not enjoy that, Williams sees a lot of similarities between herself and Arya, describing herself as hot-headed and as quick to judge. “You see that a lot this season. She gets herself into trouble a few times.”
But that’s alright. So far as Williams is concerned, Arya and herself are part of a “new wave of characters being written and actresses coming into fame that don’t really stick to the norm,” and she’s proud of that. She points to Millie Bobby Brown’s work as Eleven on Stranger Things as another example. “Millie’s work was so great, and the character is so amazing.” she said.
It is just wonderful to see more young girls in those sort of roles. I know that Arya was part of that. It’s made it okay to see little girls not just in dresses, and it’s okay for little girls to look like little boys, and it’s not quite so shocking and awful anymore.
As Game of Thrones nears its end, Williams has begun to think of what’s next, both by finding new roles (she was in Boston for the interview to shoot X-Men: New Mutants) and by helping other young people find their voice through Daisy Chain Productions, a production company she started with Dom Santry. Daisy Chain Productions’ first project is a film called Stealing Silver; Williams will both play the lead and executive produce. “I want to give other people the opportunity to make incredible things,” she said. “There are so many members of my generation that have all the talent and just no platform.”
But before she can really dive into that, she has to big goodbye to Arya Stark, who she admits may be the most important she’ll ever play, no matter what she does from now on. She shared her hopes for how Arya’s story could end, even if it’s a long shot for this show:
I just want her to be happy and be safe and for someone to look out for her. She’s become so independent, and she’s got quite a hard-ass attitude. I think that it’d be nice to have peace of mind that she’s being protected by an elder. Not sure who that would be. But she’s had it rough, and it’d be nice for her to have a nice hunk. Can’t imagine that really happening—this is Game of Thrones—but in my world that’s what I would like for her.
Well, Gendry’s still out there…
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