Maisie Williams has revealed how a made-up anecdote about a bowling ball helped her on the road to stardom.
The 21-year-old, who plays Arya Stark in Game Of Thrones, had hopes of becoming a dancer, but her parents could not afford the fees to send her to a performing arts boarding school,
However, she said the lack of money turned out to be a “blessing in disguise”.
In a talk to students at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, in Kings Cross last night, she said: “I continued dancing locally and when I was 11, I was bursting in excitement when my dance teacher told me of a talent show which boasted opportunities of making you a star.
“During an improvised acting workshop I met a woman called Louise Johnson. She gave me the words ‘bowling ball’ and asked me to create a short scene inspired by those words. After making her laugh with a fictional story about how I threw a bowling ball at my brother and it bounced, she asked me to join her acting agency.”
Williams said she failed to win a part in the Nanny McPhee sequel, but then auditioned for Thrones, the final series of which starts next month, a role which landed her an Emmy nomination.
The actress was speaking during a Q&A about her social networking app Daisie, which she launched with film producer Dom Santry.
It aims to help new artists gain exposure and connect with mentors who can provide career guidance.
“I’m not claiming with Daisie I can make everyone a star, but I do think the key to success in industries is collaborating,” she said. “If Daisie can help up-and-coming creators find the people they need to transport their ideas into a full-blown
