GoT Had a MASSIVE Effect on Maisie Williams’ Mental Health, Here’s How She Is Recovering

“Finally, a girl is no one.” Has that brought the memories flooding back? There may have been many a character arch in HBO’s Game of Thrones, but Arya Stark’s storyline happens to be one of those that stood out. Ever since she was little, the girl adamantly refused to conform to the norms that dictated a woman’s role in society.

Arya Stark’s storyline in Game of Thrones stood out

While her sister was all into embroidery, she would rather spend time shooting arrows with her brothers, or as she would much later, learn how to handle the sword. “Stick them with the pointy end” was the first rule she would learn.

Saving Westeros

As season after season came, Arya Stark would grow into one of the most beloved GoT characters, and why wouldn’t she? From the strong-willed little girl she was, she became a brave member of the Faceless Men, a guild of assassins. Although she left the guild, she never forgot her training, as was epitomized when she saved all of Westeros by taking out the Night King.

Maisie Williams was the actress who portrayed the beloved Arya Stark in arguably the best series of all time, but she recently admitted that despite her on-screen persona, she wasn’t that comfortable or confident in herself in the real world.

Back in 2011 is when Maisie landed the GoT role, and the little girl was just at the tender age of 14. She would go on to be one of the major characters to live through the show’s eight seasons, so you wouldn’t be wrong believing that Maisie grew up on set.

Arya sneaked up on the Night King, saving the whole continent with one thrust of her blade

In a recent interview with Vogue, the now 22-year-old revealed that although everything was okay at first, being on Game of Thrones started to affect how she felt about her body once adolescence fully kicked in.

The actress singles out seasons two and three where she says that it was then that she started the transition from being a girl to becoming a woman. However, her character on the show at the time was pretending to be a boy, and that’s where the conflict emerged.

Every time Maisie Williams had to put on the “boy costume”, she said, she would feel ashamed of the changes her body was going through. The fact that her hair also had to be really short didn’t do her any favors, and all this was compounded with the makeup artists covering her in dirt and broadening her nose to make it look masculine.

Feeling Horrible

The makeup team would also strap something across her bosom, flattening any growth present, all in the name of passing off Arya as a boy. While it worked for the show, it left Maisie feeling horrible for as long as six months into the year.

On-screen sisters and off-screen BFFs

All the same, the experience has since set the actress on a more feminine path, and you must have noticed it ever since the Game of Thrones curtains closed. She is exploring new fashion options, and she admits that it feels amazing to look feminine.

She is particularly pleased with her waistline, saying that she now has a real one. It may seem trivial to you, but for someone who wasn’t comfortable in her own body, this is a big win for the 22-year-old.