Sansa Stark

played by Sophie Turner

The Actor

At 13 years of age, Sophie Turner is the same age as the character she plays in Game of Thrones - Sansa Stark, the ladylike eldest daughter of the Lord of Winterfell. Sophie, like many of the other youngsters in GoT, has limited experience; she has been a student at the Playbox Theatre since the age of three, and her previous roles included stage productions Se7en and Scary Play. 

Sophie’s inspirations in acting are Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz, and young actress Dakota Fanning. The camera loves the slim, haughty princess, and Sophie admits the costumery is one of the best parts of acting, adding with a laugh that the level of detail is amazing - “Even the corset that I wear underneath my clothes at King’s Landing that you never see has beautiful dragonflies embroidered on it!”

The Role

It’s not easy being the marriageable eldest daughter to one of the most powerful men in the Seven Kingdoms. Sansa Stark is slated early on for wedlock with Prince Joffrey, eldest son of King Baratheon. Sansa is delighted at first - her eyes filled with visions of court and lovely dresses - but her hopes for a happy union with the Prince are shadowed by the Prince’s unbearable behavior.

Sansa’s direwolf is the sweet and gentle Lady, who unlike the other wolves is docile and allows Sansa to lead her about by a thin rope. When Queen Cersei orders Lady slaughtered for crimes she did not commit, Sansa’s life takes a dark turn and a wedge is driven between the embittered girl and the rest of her family.

Did You Know?

Sophie says she just knew co-star Maisie Williams would get the part of Arya Stark, Sansa’s little sister, from the moment she met her. “We had a lot of chemistry that I hadn’t had when I had auditioned with other Arya’s,” Sophie said in an interview with WinterIsComing.net. “As soon as I entered the room and saw Maisie I gave her a high five, asked her name and we just clicked. After every take we would high five each other and we gave each other a massive hug at the end, we were immediately friends!”

(Picture Copyright HBO)