Growing up on camera isn’t always easy. Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams shared that she has complicated feelings about playing Arya Stark on the hit HBO series, revealing that she “resented Arya.”
In an interview with GQ UK, Williams shared that she doesn’t necessarily miss the series that made her a household name. When asked what part of the show she misses the most, Williams went silent and then answered, “Can I say none of it?”
Williams continued, clarifying that while she loved Game of Thrones, she doesn’t often like to look back on it. “I don’t think it’s healthy [to miss it], because I loved it,” she said. “I look at it so fondly, and I look at it with such pride. But why would I want to make myself feel sad about the greatest thing that ever happened to me? I don’t want to associate that with feelings of pain.”
Williams also opened up about her internal struggle to continue playing Arya Stark as she matured. “I think that when I started becoming a woman, I resented Arya because I couldn’t express who I was becoming,” Williams said. “And then I also resented my body, because it wasn’t aligned with the piece of me that the world celebrated.”
Although Williams had complex feelings about portraying Arya, she hasn’t necessarily ruled out returning to the character sometime down the line. “I’m not saying it would never happen,” Williams said. “But I’m also not saying it in this interview so that everyone goes…‘The spin-off! It’s coming!’ Because it’s not.” So for those hoping for a spinoff starring a girl with no no name, might be better off channeling that energy into the Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, which is set to hit HBO this year.
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