Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) is in the midst of filming the final season of Game of Thrones, but in between shooting lengthy scenes at night, she got together with photographer Tung Walsh to snap some pics for InStyle Magazine.
Between talking about her sartorial choices, (head to InStyle to see more of the photos), Williams chatted about her time on the show, from its beginnings to its end, which is rapidly approaching. Incredibly, she revealed that she almost missed her audition for the role the Arya Stark because her class was taking a field trip to a pig farm that day. There but for the grace of pork.
“I struggled with the pressure to fit in and always worried about saying the right thing,” Williams said of her teen years (Game of Thrones debuted shortly after her 14th birthday). Starring on a popular show exacerbated that kind of teen angst, with high school classmates bullying her online to the point where she had to pull out of school and work with private tutors. Ultimately, it was connecting with fans that helped her pull through. “I think just understanding I wasn’t the only one who feels like they don’t fit in really helped me. And it made me want to inform other young kids that it actually does get better.”
Williams not only survived those years of adolescent turmoil; she thrived, and is now thinking about how to tackle the next stage of her life, the part that begins after Game of Thrones is over.
The hardest thing about the show ending is that I’ll never get to be Arya again. For a long time we felt like the same person, but now that I’m older, I’ve grown into a different person and found other sides to my personality. But I do think she shaped me to be more fearless in the industry. Honestly, no matter what else I work on, I’ll miss playing her.
As for what’s next, Williams wants to get into theater work and indie films. She’s also co-launching a networking app for “creative professionals” called Daisie with film producer Dom Santry. How do you top playing Arya Stark? Become a multimedia mogul.
In her spare time, Williams shares an apartment with iBoy co-star Bill Milner (Dunkirk), and enjoys playing video games until three in the morning, taking care of her two pet tortoises (Barney and Stevie Wonder) and walking her Shih Tzu Sunny. “Picking up his poop in the park definitely brings me back to reality. It’s the most normal, average thing about my life.”
To stay up to date on everything Game of Thrones, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.
Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels
