Sophie Turner, the actress who shot to global fame as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, has opened up about the unique challenges of her early career, revealing she once had to portray being in love before she had ever experienced the feeling herself. Now starring in the new Prime Video thriller Steal, Turner reflects on her journey from a teenage star to a leading action heroine.
Learning to Act on the World's Biggest Stage
Cast at just 13 years old, Turner began filming the epic fantasy series at 14. She describes the experience as being 'thrown in at the deep end', learning her craft in front of a global audience. Looking back at her early seasons, she admits to feeling self-conscious. 'I learned how to act on that set, and now I'm thinking: that's not how to do it. That's not what I do these days. It's very embarrassing,' she said. 'Imagine if you were learning to sing, and all your lessons had been filmed and broadcast.'
One of the most poignant revelations was the challenge of simulating emotions she hadn't yet lived. 'I remember having to act being in love before I'd ever been in love. I thought: 'OK, I guess I'll just do this.' And then suddenly, when I'd been in love for the first time, then I knew the feeling,' Turner explained, highlighting the personal growth required for her profession.
From Westeros to a High-Stakes Heist
Turner's latest project is Steal, a white-knuckle drama streaming on Prime Video from Wednesday 21 January. She plays Zara, an office worker caught in a violent corporate heist. The show, with a screenplay by novelist Sotiris Nikias, blends intense action with a novelistic depth, refusing to sacrifice character for spectacle.
'There's so much betrayal, the stakes are so high, you can't prep the feeling,' Turner said of her role. She praised the production's immersive approach, where villains wore subtle prosthetics that disoriented the cast as much as the audience during filming. 'Take one was a surprise for all of us. They wanted to get our genuine reaction. It was quite method.' She also noted the show's modern villain: 'It's interesting how bad guys used to always have a Russian accent... now 'it's just rich people'. It's much better, much less racist.'
Rebuilding Momentum and a Homecoming
After the colossal success of Game of Thrones, Turner found herself typecast in period dramas and took a conscious step back. 'I didn't know what was up and what was down. I needed to discover who I was,' she stated. This period coincided with personal milestones, including marriage to Joe Jonas, a move to the US, and the birth of her two daughters.
Following her divorce two years ago and a return to the UK, Steal represents a professional homecoming, filmed in east London. 'The state of our industry is slowly getting a little bit better, especially in the UK,' she observed, acknowledging the challenge of rebuilding career momentum after a break.
Looking ahead, Turner is deep into training for her next major role: playing Lara Croft in a new live-action Tomb Raider series for Prime Video, helmed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The regimen is gruelling, involving eight hours of training a day, five days a week—a stark contrast to her Game of Thrones days. 'It's quite nice to learn how to throw a punch and not just take it,' she remarked.
Despite being drawn to high-stakes drama, Turner expressed a desire to explore comedy, which she finds more technically challenging. For now, audiences can see her navigating the chaotic menace of Steal, proving that life's toughest puzzles often forge the strongest heroes.
