Maisie Williams on how ‘Game of Thrones’ stardom impacted on her mental health

Nick Reilly May 16, 2019 10:13 am BST

Read more at https://www.nme.com/news/tv/maisie-williams-says-game-of-thrones-stardom-affected-her-mental-health-2488647#ZzzRIZF429jpTWLX.99

“You can just sit in a hole of sadness”

Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams has explained how finding fame on the hit show adversely affected her mental health.

The actress, who has drawn widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Arya Stark, told Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast how it was tricky to navigate fame as a teenager.

The star was just 13-years-old when she was cast in the role and said that she often became overwhelmed by negative comments on social media.

“It gets to a point where you’re almost craving something negative, so you can just sit in a hole of sadness,” Williams said.

While Williams now gives less attention to negative thoughts, she admits that she still considers how they affected her.

Maisie Williams as Arya Stark

” I still lie in bed at, like, 11 o’clock at night telling myself all the things I hate about myself,” Williams said. “It’s just really terrifying that you’re ever going to slip back into it. That’s still something that I’m really working on, because I think that’s really hard. It’s really hard to feel sad and not feel completely defeated by it.”

Describing her desire for a “normal life” after the show ends on Sunday, Williams admitted: “I don’t want any of this crazy, crazy world because it’s not worth it.”

• READ MORE: ‘Game of Thrones’ season 8 episode 5 review: Did Daenerys just jump the shark/dragon?

It comes as fans gear up for the end of the show after eight years – although the final season has proved divisive.

Some have petitioned for the last slice of the fantasy show to be remade, while the penultimate episode scored the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

RESOURCES

• ‘Am I depressed?‘ – Help and advice on mental health and what to do next
• Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians
• Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues
• YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
• CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably for young men
• Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
• The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day