Sansa Stark, Eddard Stark and Catelyn’s eldest daughter, has one of the most heartbreaking story arcs in the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones.” Because of all the hardships her family had to face and endure, she became a tough lady.
The person behind the character, Sophie Turner, has had her fair share of bad experiences as well, revealing the struggles she had to face in playing the role, thereby highlighting how everyone can be affected by mental health issues.
Facing Mental Health Problems
The newly wedded actress is the June cover girl for Marie Claire Australia, where she revealed the mental health problems she suffered and how she managed to cope with it.
Specifically, it happened at one point when the pace of her metabolism slowed down and she started to gain weight in her teen years while filming “Game of Thrones.” Unfortunately, this was further aggravated by the studio executives, who pressured her into losing weight.
Sophie also opened up about the effects of harsh and rude comments on her weight in the podcast “Phil in the Blanks,” admitting she did get a multitude of negative reactions about her weight, skin, and some even doubted her acting skills.
Because of these, it affected how she was with work as she became very self-conscious, citing the time when she would request to tighten the corset even more. Plus, because her confidence took a dive, her creativity in work took a blow and she had a hard time portraying Sansa.
Not-So-Glamorous Life
The 23-year-old’s revelations shed light on the plight of actors and the not-so-glamorous side of Hollywood. Apart from the extreme expectations of the public of their idols, film and TV officials also add to that pressure, which is why thespians resort to help.
As for Sophie, she had to seek professional help to get through the tough times. The actress said everyone needs to talk to a therapist all the more if people constantly tell you that you are not good enough and do not look good enough.
Getting Help and Support
Of course, it would also help to get support from the people around you. Sophie credited her husband, singer Joe Jonas, as one of those who helped her get her self-esteem back, who constantly remind her that she is worth loving, and in turn, makes her love herself, too.
This wasn’t the first time Sophie got candid with her mental health journey, as she had been previously transparent about her experience. In her late teen years, she suffered from depression, which she said might be because she lived at home shooting “Game of Thrones” while her friends were already on their way to college.
As such, she turned to her co-star and real-life friend Maisie Williams, who played Sansa’s younger sister Arya. However, their friendship became destructive at one point when they only limited socializing to themselves.