Maisie Williams landed the role of Arya Stark in Game of Thrones at the young age of 12. At the time, she had to juggle both her role in school and in the series. Recently, the young actress opened up about her journey towards the limelight and how it helped shape her perspective as a teen star.
From Maisie to Arya
Maisie's unusual path to adulthood started when she auditioned for the role that would make her famous. Totally unfamiliar with Hollywood, she recalled being obsessed about just earning enough money to buy herself a laptop. Her goals were quite simple - enjoy the experience and get her much-coveted gadget.
Little did she know how this big break would catapult her career to greater heights.
According to Maisie, the first two years were weird. She remembers having the time of her life. Looking back, however, she wasn't really happy because she didn't have many friends. Overall, it was a strange time for her. "I remember in maybe season two or three, other cast members coming up to me and saying, 'Your life is going to change', and to me, that wasn't exciting. I was, like, 'I don't want it to change, I quite enjoy my life,'" the young actress shared.
In an interview with Sunday Times Style Magazine, she recalled her early days in the series, "At 12, I was fearless and didn't care, so I really enjoyed it.
But then, as each season passed, the pressure built and it became a little destructive. Everyone goes through that dip in confidence. That also came with puberty. It all fizzled out a bit, and I lost my confidence and now I'm slowly starting to get it back again."
Speaking up on sexualization
Now the 20-year-old star speaks up about the sexualization of young women in the film and TV industry.
She finds it unfair that female teen stars are reeled in to being cast for roles that are not appropriate for their age and maturity level. "It's hard for young actresses who still feel like scrappy teenagers but are sort of forced to play characters who are a lot more mature, because, you know, 'young sexy woman' really sells in Hollywood," she said.
Since making her acting debut, she has also appeared on other series such as "Doctor Who." At this point, she considers herself lucky for not having to go through the same experience. The characters she has played by far "aren't necessarily the eye candy," which worked in her favor.
Previously, other actresses also shared their views on how young sex sells in Hollywood. In 2013, BBC News asked Jennifer Lawrence about her opinion on Miley Cyrus and the sexualization of young Hollywood females to which she responded, "It's a part of the entertainment industry that sells — sex sells. And for some disgusting reason, young sex sells even more."
Modern Family star Ariel Winter also grew up in the public eye.
Prior to realizing how much she should love her curvaceous body, the initial stages of accepting it were very difficult. At age 11, the teen actress became famous for her role as Alex Dunphy, a smart and mature girl. When she turned 12, the pressure of conforming to the industry and society's standards of body and beauty took a toll on her. Thanks to the help of actress Sofia Vergara, Ariel managed to rise above these expectations and truly shine on her own.
With a good head on her shoulders, Maisie said that the pressure to be beautiful and skinny is now gone, subsided as she has aged. “I’m happier now (that) I’m older, playing women who aren’t expected to be beautiful,” the actress shared with New York Daily News.
