Looking Back: Sophie Turner Opens Up About the Impact of Weight Scrutiny on Her Mental Health During Game of Thrones
Game Of Thrones has been a show that needs no introduction in Hollywood and the world of series and pop culture. The American fantasy drama television series was created by David Benioff and DB Weiss for HBO. A popular face in the series, Sophie Turner who played the character of Sansa Stark was just 23 years old when the series was aired.
Back in 2019, In an interview with Dr. Phil, Turner described how, at around 17, feelings of depression settled into her as her friends went off to university and she felt isolated by working on TV and living alone juggling busy shoot schedules.
Turner further added that she suffered from mood swings and she had hit puberty then which made her body change, which of course led to weight gain.
She said she felt lost amidst the social media scrutiny and the thrive for perfection as an actress at such a young age. As per Vulture, she described how social media attention to her looks and acting ability on Game of Thrones was a “bit of a catalyst”
Furthermore, Turner explained this to Elle in May 2022. “One night, I was playing over and over in my mind a comment I’d seen on Instagram. I was like, ‘I’m so fat, I’m so undesirable,’ and spinning out.’ … She said to me, ‘You know, no one actually cares. I know you think this, but nobody else is thinking it. You’re not that important,” she recalled.
She also admitted to suffering from an eating disorder that affected her social life. She did not want to go see her friends and eat with them and eventually opted for therapy and professional help.
Adapted from A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, with the first book titled A Game of Thrones, the show premiered on HBO in the United States on April 17, 2011. It concluded on May 19, 2019, after broadcasting 73 episodes over eight seasons.
Meanwhile, as reported by Digital Spy in 2023, Sophie Turner will be next seen in the psychological thriller titled Trust, directed by Carlson Young. The actress will play the leading part of Anne, whose life is turned upside down when a man from her past (Harington) makes an unexpected return.
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