Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams on the “pressure” of growing up famous

Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) spent most of her teenage years in the spotlight, and it wasn’t always easy.

Being a teenager is a difficult and confusing time for most anyone, but grappling with the transition from childhood to young adulthood is even more onerous when you’re in the public spotlight. And growing up on HBO’s Game of Thrones put Maisie Williams front and center during some of the most formative years of her life, something she detailed in a recent interview with The Sun.

Williams was only 12 years old when she became the sword-swinging, face-swapping, revenge-seeking prodigy of Winterfell, and her tenure as Arya Stark took her straight through to adulthood. But where Arya never seemed to worry about her insecurities, or how she was presenting to the world, those are thoughts that occupied Williams’ mind growing up on one of the most well-known and beloved television series of the 21st century. In part, it was her large fanbase that made her hyperaware of everything she put online, as she didn’t want to say anything that could put her at the center of a fan backlash.

“When I was a teenager, social media was exciting and new and you could invent yourself online,” she explained. “I wanted to share everything like my friends did. Then obviously, I got a much larger following, so there was pressure not to say anything stupid.”

And it wasn’t just managing her online presence that challenged Williams during these years. Hollywood can be confusing for younger actors; it expects them to be both children and adults, and leaves it up to them to decide when to be which.

“When you are 14, people still want you to be a kid, but you’re also trying to be a grown-up,” Williams said. “And you don’t know which one you’re supposed to be and you’re stuck in your body. That was a difficult time.”

Luckily, these growing pains didn’t turn Williams off of acting altogether. Instead, she learned to narrow her public speaking to topics she’s “passionate about” and stay out of the rest. And that seems to have served her well as she’s gone on to star in The New Mutants and Two Weeks to Live. Not all child stars fare so well, and we’re glad Williams will be sticking around.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, 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