Sophie Turner Felt Pressured To Lose Weight While On ‘Game Of Thrones’
It can be difficult growing up in the spotlight, particularly within the image-obsessed culture of Hollywood.
Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner was only 14 years old when she took the role of Sansa Stark on the fantasy series. The HBO drama exploded in popularity, becoming one of the most-watched shows on television, and the British actress’s life changed forever.
Turner recent sat down with Marie Claire Australia for a frank discussion about how she’s dealt with growing up in such an atmosphere, and how it has affected her — physically and mentally — reports Huffington Post. Sophie Turner was very candid as she elaborated on her struggles.
“I have experienced mental illness firsthand and I’ve seen what it can do to the people around [the sufferers] as well. My metabolism suddenly decided to fall to the depths of the ocean and I started to get spotty and gain weight, and all of this was happening to me on camera.”
Turner said she started to encounter “pressure” from film and television studios to slim down, pressures which had a significant impact upon her mental health.
On a recent episode of Dr. Phil McGraw’s podcast, Phil in the Blanks, she opened up about how much of her past issues with depression and anxiety could be traced back to previous incidents. Turner spoke out about cases where trolls on social media had criticized her looks and acting ability when she was just 17.
“It was just a lot of weight comments, or I would have spotty skin because I was a teenager — and that’s normal — and I used to get a lot of comments about my skin and my weight and how I wasn’t a good actress.”
Sophie Turner says she was pressured to lose weight: “My metabolism suddenly decided to fall to the depths of the ocean." https://t.co/abxGkVqJL1
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) May 3, 2019
The Dark Phoenix star said that, for a time, the comments got to her so much that she ended up obtaining a distorted view of herself. These comments and criticisms made the star self-conscious, and negatively influenced her on-screen performances.
She recounted instances where she would cry continuously while getting changed for scenes, feeling that she wouldn’t — and couldn’t — go out and do her job, due to the enormous baggage on her shoulders.
Turner said that therapy was the one thing that pulled her out of her feelings of hopelessness and despair.
She advised that everyone should have a therapist, particularly if a person is in a situation where they are constantly exposed to critiques about not being — or looking — good enough.
In the past, the actress has praised her now-husband, Joe Jonas, for helping her deal with her depression — and for boosting her self-esteem.
On Wednesday, the couple made their union official during an unexpected wedding in Las Vegas. A more formal ceremony in Paris, France, is reportedly in the works.
