Since starring in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, Sophie Turner has made a name for herself and not just for her role as Sansa Stark. The actress has gone on to star in the X-Men film series as well as movies like Do Revenge and Trust and TV shows such as The Prince, The Staircase and Joan. Turner has more recently been promoting Steal, a newly launched Prime Video series. Needless to say, Turner's been booked as of late but, shortly after Thrones' finale aired in 2019, she turned down certain gigs for a good reason.
Turner recently chatted with the Los Angeles Times, during which she looked back at her career. Of course, Game of Thrones was her big break and, while the show still seems to hold a big place in her heart, it sounds like she would rather not do similar shows. However, it’s not for the reason you’d think, as Turner, who is set to lead Prime Video’s upcoming Tomb Raider series, admitted:
I got a lot of period piece offers, but I did not want to do any more period pieces after ‘Game of Thrones,’ mainly because of the temperature. You’re always outside, and you’re always in a flimsy little cotton dress, and there’s mud everywhere.
I can definitely understand why it would be tough to star in a period piece. Between intricate sets, rough locations and eclectic costumes, there can be pain points for an actor. Sure, I can see how some stars would relish the chance to play a character who exists in a time period far different from there own. Nevertheless, I definitely get where Turner is coming from.
As with any kind of shoot, the weather can be unpredictable while filming a period piece. It can also be challenging to film outside in the cold in an outfit that may not be all that comfortable or conducive to the terrain. For Turner, there's one very particular reason she doesn't like doing period pieces:
OK, this is the reason I don’t like doing them. You get mud on the bottom of your dress, and when you have to go and wee, the mud slaps your bum when you pull the dress up. It’s not as glamorous as it seems.
I have seen a number of period dramas, and I'd be lying if I said that as I watched, I thought heavily about the actors having to deal with mud and other hazards. Needless to say, it sounds like it’s not that fan. If anything, what Sophie Turner can say is that after starring on a show like Game of Thrones -- which was shot in the UK, Spain, Canada, Malta and more -- for so long, she's truly battle tested when it comes to rough conditions.
Whether or not Turner's opinion will ever change about period pieces is unclear. However, thanks to the way she's rebuilt her career, she doesn't have to rely on them for work.
Still, there's been a question as to whether Turner would ever return to the GoT universe. The franchise is, after all, alive and well via spinoffs, and Turner's recent four-word response to the notion of reprising Sansa proves she's not totally opposed to the idea.
Of course, Sophie Turner is pretty busy these days and, as of late, she's been doing a lot of training for the upcoming Tomb Raider series, in which she'll play Lara Croft. Nevertheless, here's hoping that if Turner ever does take on another period piece, the experience will be smooth. For now, fans can see her in action as Stark by streaming all seasons of Thrones with an HBO Max subscription.
