Maisie Williams reveals how 'Game of Thrones' role affected her body image
Maisie Williams recently opened up about embracing herself and her own unique style after "Game of Thrones."
The actress, who played Arya Stark on the hit HBO show throughout its 8-year run, said she struggled with body image insecurities while playing Arya, during an interview with Vogue.
"I think when you are a young actress it’s really exciting and you really want to look grown up. I was really conscious not to do that at the beginning of my career because even though I was like 16, 18, I was still looking 12, 14," she explained.
"That’s really powerful when you’re an actor -- playing younger is like one of your most valuable things," she continued.
However, the way in which her character was represented on the screen began to affect how she felt about herself as she grew older.
"A couple of seasons in the middle, maybe around season two or three, my body started to mature, and I started to become a woman -- but Arya was still very much trying to be disguised as a boy," she said.
"I had really short hair and they’d constantly cover me in dirt and shade my nose so it looked really broad and I looked really manly" she added. "They’d also put this strap across my chest to flatten any growth that had started."
She said that the costume choices left her feeling "horrible for six months of the year, and I felt kind of ashamed for a while."
Post-"Thrones," she now feels free to embrace her femininity and show off her individuality in her fashion choices.
"We have this new phase of my style," she explained to Vogue. "It is nice to look more feminine and have a real waistline and just embrace the body that I have."
