The actress was just 13 years old when she was cast as Sansa Stark in 'Game of Thrones'.
- You have changed, little bird. None of it would have happened if you had left King's Landing with me. No Littlefinger. No Ramsay. None of it.
- Without Littlefinger and Ramsay and the rest, I would have stayed a little bird all my life.
(A conversation between Sandor Clegane and Sansa Stark, 'Game of Thrones').
Season 1; there is a naive young girl who harbors nothing but dreams of a fairytale-like lifestyle and envisions herself as the queen. Cut to season 8, and that naive girl has become quite a strong and independent woman adept at playing the ‘game’. Well, it is Sansa Stark's character arc we are talking about, which is undoubtedly one of the major highlights of 'Game of Thrones'. The way she evolves throughout the series, overcoming all the adversities that come her way and emerging as a force to be reckoned with, is an inspiration for us.
Along with Sansa, Sophie Turner, the actress who portrayed the character in the series, also evolved simultaneously. Playing a role filled with trauma and hardships, she saw life through a different lens and channeled Sansa's resilience into her own life.
The actress celebrates her 28th birthday today. On this occasion, we share a throwback to when she shared how playing Sansa toughened her up.
Back in 2019, Sophie shared in an interview that she was forced to grow up fast as her character went through lots of troubles. She said, "When you're starting your career at a young age, you're forced to grow up much faster. Also, playing a character like Sansa and having to endure all the things she did, toughens you up."
In another interview, she spoke about how she had evolved with the character. In her words, "From day one, I always saw her as a very strong, very clever girl. Yes, she was kind of blinded by this fairytale of King's Landing and the capital and being queen - and, I mean, what 13-year-old isn't or wouldn't be? I was always like, 'Okay, and then there's gonna be a point where she finally uses everything - all of that knowledge that she has soaked up - and uses it to her advantage."
"Sansa, Thank you for teaching me resilience, bravery, and what true strength really is. Thank you for teaching me to be kind and patient and to lead with love. I grew up with you. I fell in love with you at 13 and now 10 years on.. at 23 I leave you behind. But I will never leave behind what you’ve taught me," wrote the actress when the series came to an end.
Well, Sansa's journey is a lesson for all of us - no matter how difficult life gets, and no matter how vulnerable we feel from the inside; we should never stop believing in ourselves. As Joker in 'The Dark Knight' said, "Whatever doesn't kill you, simply makes you stronger."
In one of her interviews in 2017, the actress said she had got her role in 'Game of Thrones' because of her social media followers. In her own words, "It was between me and another girl who is a far better actress than I am, far better, but I had the followers, so I got the job... A lot of what I have achieved is about timing and luck, but it is also, and I hate to say it, about a big social-media following."
She developed a special bond with one of the direwolves on the GOT set and ended up adopting it.
She is close friends with her 'Game of Thrones' co-star, Maisie Williams.
Not only she played Sansa Stark in 'Game of Thrones', but also she voiced the character in the GOT game.
While playing the character, she acquired exceptional skills in archery.
