Maisie Williams Says Life After Game of Thrones Felt Like “Hell”

Maisie Williams became famous at 12 as Arya Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Now, at 29, she says the period after the hit series ended left her unsure of what to do next.

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The first half of my twenties was simply hell.

In an interview with The Guardian, Williams described “the first half of my twenties” as “hell.” She said she needed a break and was also dealing with a delayed, uncomfortable teenage phase while trying to resolve issues she felt she might not have been able to confront earlier.

Williams said she has felt better for the past three years. She credited reconnecting with friends, moving away from London and choosing herself. Explaining that decision, she referred to a sentiment associated with Kim Cattrall: “I don’t want to be anywhere, not even for an hour, where I’m not having fun.”

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I simply needed a break, to be honest.

Williams will appear from Sept. 10 in Practical Magic 2, playing the youngest daughter of Sandra Bullock’s character, Sally Owens. Bullock and Nicole Kidman play the sisters with supernatural abilities in the sequel to the 1998 film.

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I don’t want to be anywhere, not even for an hour, where I’m not having fun.

Williams said Bullock and Kidman offered younger cast members advice on life rather than the film industry. “We talked about the misconception that you can be friends with your ex,” she said, adding that everyone agreed on the point.

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We talked about the misconception that you can be friends with your ex.