Why Sophie Turner Won’t Watch GoT Spinoff Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Sophie Turner has a stark opinion about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Sophie Turner, known for her role as Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones from 2011 to 2019, has said she doesn’t intend to watch the new Game of Thrones spinoff series.

Sophie admitted in an Instagram video on January 20th that she can’t bring herself to watch Game of Thrones anymore. She told journalist James B. Street that even the show’s theme song makes her extremely anxious.

The 29-year-old, who shares 5-year-old Willa and 3-year-old Delphine with her ex-husband Joe Jonas, said she doesn’t understand why, but she can’t bring herself to watch anything connected to the show, despite having enjoyed her time on it.

Okay, so it sounds like she probably hasn’t seen House of the Dragon either! But honestly, she had such kind things to say to Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell – the amazing leads of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It’s lovely to see support for those guys, they really deserve it!

I’m really looking forward to seeing what the actors do with this project, and I think it has the potential to be amazing, especially given the world it’s set in,” the Do Revenge actress said. “I wish everyone involved the best of luck.”

She concluded, “I won’t be watching it, but I’ll be rooting for you.”

Even though Sophie might not fully realize it, she’s described her complicated experience working on the set of the hugely popular show, Game of Thrones.

She told Porter in an interview on January 4th that because the roles she played dealt with serious topics, people tended to treat her as an adult. She found it difficult that this adult treatment extended to her personal life, even though she was still a young teenager. While she felt like a peer on set, she explained that starting out in the entertainment industry at a young age made her life outside of work challenging.

After the show ended in 2019, Sophie deliberately decided to move on from Game of Thrones and not dwell on it.

I really went through a period of figuring things out after the show ended – it felt like a real loss, honestly. It was like something had died, and we all needed time and space to grieve and rediscover who we were outside of that whole world. I took a couple of years to completely step away and process everything, and I think that was exactly what I needed.

Ultimately, she explained that she needed time to discover her identity, her goals, and her direction as an actress.

To learn behind-the-scenes secrets of Game of Thrones, keep reading…

George R.R. Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series which began with Game of Thrones in 1996, believes the success of the Lord of the Rings films (2001-2003) helped audiences and critics become more receptive to high-quality fantasy on screen.

He wasn’t thrilled with any of the ideas for turning his five massive stories – including Game of Thrones, which was already 694 pages long – into a film or even a series of films. However, around the mid-2000s, his agent shared the books with writer David Benioff. And after Ned Stark’s shocking death, Benioff started having his writing partner, Dan Weiss, read the books too, just to see if it was worth getting excited about.

The pals decided quickly that only a TV series could do A Song of Ice and Fire justice.

The meeting with Martin went well, but as James Hibberd recounted in his 2020 oral history, Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon, Martin wanted to gauge Benioff and Weiss’s commitment. He asked them, based on the hints in the books up to that point, who they believed Jon Snow’s mother was.

Benioff remembered being surprisingly ready when that question came up, and that’s when they officially launched their company – or, more accurately, began the process of trying to build a business with a network of partners.

Benioff and Weiss quickly realized that HBO, known for its willingness to invest heavily in productions, was the ideal home for their ambitious project.

I remember reading an interview with Carolyn Strauss, one of the executive producers of Game of Thrones. She told James Hibberd that when she first heard the pitch for the show, there were a lot of concerns. She explained that fantasy series are notoriously difficult to pull off, and there are so many ways they can just…fail.

Despite the initial green light, getting Game of Thrones made for television was just the first step. It took months to obtain the rights to the novels, and when Strauss departed HBO in 2008, Benioff and Weiss had to pitch the series all over again to the new head of programming, Michael Lombardo.

They were honest about bending the truth when they kept saying the show would focus on characters, not spectacle, even though they knew it would eventually become very action-packed.

Lombardo admitted he always had doubts about Benioff and Weiss’ claim that the plot was self-contained, saying, “We knew we were taking a risk.”

The pilot got the greenlight in November 2008.

The first episode of Game of Thrones, which aired on April 17, 2011, immediately captivated viewers with its beautiful visuals and compelling story. Interestingly, it wasn’t the very first pilot filmed—the show reshot the pilot before its official premiere to better draw audiences into the world of Westeros.

Tom McCarthy, a director and actor who previously worked with Peter Dinklage on The Station Agent and later directed the Best Picture winner Spotlight, played a key role in casting Game of Thrones and directed its very first episode.

Ironically, the show felt a bit too small in scale. According to Lombardo, there was worry that they weren’t using enough expansive shots. He recalled someone saying, “It felt like we could have filmed this entirely in Burbank.”

In a 2016 episode of the Scriptnotes podcast, hosted by Craig Mazin and John August, David Benioff described watching his friends’ reactions to the pilot episode as “one of the most painful experiences of my life.”

Benioff pointed out that viewers hadn’t realized Jaime and Cersei Lannister were siblings—a significant plot detail that the show had apparently never made clear.

People at the time praised Richard Plepler, a co-president at HBO, for having a vision for the show’s potential. He greenlit a full season of ten episodes, including a new pilot, and filming began in July 2010.

After seeing the HBO version – directed by Tim Van Patten and with John McCarthy as a consulting producer – at the premiere, Mazin recalled telling Weiss and Benioff that it was “the biggest save in Hollywood history.”

As a huge fan of the Chernobyl series, I remember the creator saying something that really stuck with me. It wasn’t just about taking a bad situation and making it better; it was about rescuing something truly awful – a complete disaster, honestly – and transforming it into something genuinely brilliant. He pointed out that kind of turnaround just never happens, and that’s what made the show so remarkable.

McCarthy didn’t share many details, but told ABC News in 2016 that when the show’s pilot needed reshoots and revisions, he was already committed to his 2011 film, Win Win, and couldn’t participate. He added that Game of Thrones ultimately became a huge success even without his involvement.

As a casting director, I’ve seen a lot of actors audition for major roles, and let me tell you, the competition for Jon Snow was fierce! Kit Harington ultimately landed the part, but he wasn’t the only one vying for it. In fact, several actors who eventually became well-known faces in the series – like Alfie Allen (who played Theon Greyjoy), Joe Dempsie (Gendry), and even Iwan Rheon (the chilling Ramsay Bolton) – all auditioned for the role of Jon Snow as well! It just goes to show how many talented people were up for the part.

Sam Claflin shared in 2016 that, like many British actors, he auditioned for a role in Game of Thrones. He tried out for both Jon Snow and Viserys Targaryen, but ultimately moved on to other projects. He ended up enjoying the show as a viewer, saying he prefers watching palace intrigue rather than being involved in it, as he finds it distracting when he’s part of a project he’s also watching as a fan.

Nicholas Hoult auditioned for the role of Jon Snow, but he didn’t think he made a great impression. He told Page Six that he had a ponytail and a bad fake tan while filming Clash of the Titans, which he felt didn’t fit the look they were going for, and ultimately, he wasn’t selected.

Rheon, who started on Game of Thrones in season three, once joked in a 2016 interview with Interview magazine that he almost played Jon Snow—a role that could have meant his character would be dead by now. He believes the show made the right decision casting Kit Harington, saying he would have brought a very different energy to the part, and that it’s not worth speculating about ‘what ifs’.

Besides, as Sansa eventually tells Ramsay, “You’re going to die tomorrow, Lord Bolton. Sleep well.”

Peter Dinklage wasn’t initially keen on playing a dwarf in a fantasy story, as he’d worked hard to avoid stereotypical roles throughout his career. However, because he admired David Benioff’s writing and was friends with Benioff’s wife, Amanda Peet, Dinklage agreed to take a look at the script for the Game of Thrones pilot.

Let’s just say, it wasn’t what he expected.

He accepted the role of Tyrion Lannister, the central character of the series, though initially he resisted growing a beard, despite the character being described in the books as a complex individual who enjoys drinking and women. He later agreed to grow the beard.

Peter Dinklage received four Emmy Awards for his role as a supporting actor in a drama and became a fan favorite.

Peter Dinklage also strongly encouraged his friend Lena Headey to try out for the part of Cersei Lannister. There’s been speculation that the role was initially offered to Gillian Anderson, but she turned it down. Anderson later joked that her teenage daughter couldn’t believe she’d pass up opportunities like Game of Thrones or Downton Abbey, shows her daughter enjoyed watching.

The showrunners, Benioff and Weiss, were immediately impressed with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau for the role of Jaime Lannister, even though some book fans felt he didn’t physically match their expectations. This reminded me of the reaction to Gary Oldman being cast as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie back in 2004 – many fans had wanted Sean Bean instead. It’s a common challenge: pleasing dedicated fantasy readers is incredibly difficult.

Just because something seems obvious doesn’t mean people aren’t knowledgeable about it—and often, if you ask, you’ll get the information you need.

Readers loved the book and strongly wanted Jason Momoa to play Khal Drogo, and the showrunners listened to them.

Tamzin Merchant was originally chosen to play Daenerys and filmed the first pilot episode. However, she reportedly wasn’t enthusiastic about the role even then, and that showed up in her performance.

Lombardo said the scenes between her character and Jason didn’t quite come together. While co-executive producer Bryan Cogman praised Merchant’s performance at the time, looking back, it’s clear Emilia Clarke was the perfect fit for the role.

It at least sounds as though there were no hard feelings on Merchant’s end.

In a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the star of The Tudors shared that filming the pilot episode taught them a valuable lesson. They initially tried to withdraw from the project during contract negotiations, but were convinced to stay. This led to a challenging experience – finding themselves naked and frightened while horseback riding in Morocco on a very spirited horse – which reinforced the importance of trusting their gut instincts.

Merchant explained that Emilia Clarke truly made the role unforgettable, and it was clear she was passionate about sharing the story. However, he personally didn’t feel a strong connection to the material himself.

Benioff and Weiss, known for being considerate, cast Jack Gleeson as Prince Joffrey after discovering him during auditions in Dublin. They had already decided he was perfect for the role and didn’t want to disappoint him by canceling his audition, even as they continued searching for other young actors.

John Bradley’s train from Manchester to London was canceled the day he was scheduled to audition for the role of Samwell Tarly. He had to find another way to get there and was worried he’d be late. The show’s creators, who already had someone else in mind for the part, were understanding and didn’t cancel his audition, considering he’d traveled so far.

According to Weiss, the man hurried from the station only to discover the elevator wasn’t working. After climbing three flights of stairs, he unfortunately missed his opportunity. Weiss explained that Bradley’s flawless performance immediately cost the other man his job.

When Maisie Williams was 12 years old, she filmed a simple audition video during her school lunch break and submitted it to the casting directors for Game of Thrones. It was only the second time she’d ever auditioned for anything, but she successfully landed the important role of Arya Stark, beating out many other young actresses.

Sophie Turner, who was just thirteen years old, initially auditioned for the role of Sansa Stark for fun, with her drama teacher’s support. She didn’t tell her parents until she was one of the final seven contenders. The last two in the running were Sophie and Izzy Meikle-Small. Izzy later told The Telegraph in 2013 that while she was disappointed not to get the part, she wasn’t overly upset, noting the show featured a lot of revealing costumes and her parents might not have approved.

Turner and Williams quickly became close friends after meeting at an audition. During the seventh season of their show, they got matching tattoos – ‘07.08.09’ – to remember the date they were both cast (August 7, 2009).

Oh my gosh, can you believe it? Isaac Hempstead Wright was just ten years old when he landed the role of Bran Stark! It’s amazing! He was totally just living his life, off at summer camp, probably having a blast, and had no idea he’d been chosen for the biggest show on television. He came home and it was just…a total surprise! I mean, can you imagine?! It’s the best story ever!

Jennifer Ehle, known for her role in Pride and Prejudice, originally played Catelyn Stark in the pilot episode of the series. She explained to The Daily Beast that she’d recently had a baby and, while eager to work on the show and a fan of the books, it was too soon after giving birth for her to fully commit emotionally. As a result, she only appeared in the pilot, allowing Michelle Fairley to take over the role of Catelyn.

Determined not to repeat the mistakes of the team behind the Harry Potter films, Benioff and Weiss quickly decided they wanted Sean Bean, famous for his role in Lord of the Rings, to play Ned Stark.

In a 2019 interview with EW, the actor said he was excited to be offered the role and remembered being one of only two people cast at the time. He was really enthusiastic about the project, though he had no idea how popular the series would eventually become. At that point, everyone was just focused on understanding their characters and getting started.

So to speak.

Ned Stark may have lost his head, but Bean had to go back to work.

Bean, reflecting on his character’s surprising death in the first season finale, described it as ‘wonderful’ due to its unexpected nature. He told EW that he admired how the scene was filmed. Although his character initially died, he later had to film flashback scenes, meaning his involvement wasn’t completely over. Filming in Malta was hot and vibrant, and despite the somber subject matter, there was a lighthearted atmosphere on set.

The situation was terrible, but it also had moments of unexpected humor. There were some mishaps – like when the head detached – and things didn’t always go as planned. It was actually quite funny at times, and it helped to lighten the mood.

Even though longtime fans of the books had seen it coming, the Red Wedding in season three – specifically the episode ‘The Rains of Castamere’ – was a devastating moment. It was a planned event, but that didn’t lessen its impact.

Martin revealed to EW in 2019 that Robb Stark was essentially the second most impactful character death he wrote – after Ned Stark, and with many other smaller deaths occurring as well. Interestingly, while writing A Storm of Swords, he saved that scene for last, delaying it within the writing process. He described it as feeling like ‘murdering two of your children.’

Richard Madden, who used to finish a book a season, admitted he ruined the surprise of the story for himself by looking it up online. However, even before that, he said around a thousand people had hinted that something bad was going to happen to his character, Robb.

The show’s depiction of the massacre was even more shocking than in the book, largely because of the inclusion of Robb Stark’s wife, Talisa. Despite knowing her character would be killed off, actress Oona Chaplin was pleased to be part of such a significant scene. She told Entertainment Weekly that she’d hoped for a memorable death, and while the script was shocking, experiencing the scene on set was far more intense.

Madden admitted the episode was ‘horrible’ in a call with reporters after it aired in 2013. He described it as a very tough day for everyone involved, with many people—including himself—crying.

Lily Allen turned down the role of Yara Greyjoy, the sister of Theon Greyjoy, even though her brother, Alfie Allen, played Theon. She wasn’t interested in taking the part.

The singer admitted she was flattered by the offer, but ultimately declined a scene in which her character was to be intimately touched by another character. She explained to Vulture in 2014 that the scene involved a character who didn’t recognize her, and she felt uncomfortable with the physical interaction it required, specifically mentioning having to ride a horse while being touched inappropriately. After learning the details of the scene, she politely refused to participate.

Gemma Whelan was excellent as Yara, especially after she figured out the most important lesson in Game of Thrones.

One of the biggest lessons I learned early in my career happened right when I landed the role of Yara Greyjoy. Honestly, no one ever told me to keep it a secret! I just naturally included it in my online profile – my Spotlight entry, basically – mentioning I’d be playing Yara in Game of Thrones. Talk about a reaction! One of the producers on the show immediately called me in and explained, very seriously, that I’d almost lost the job by announcing it publicly. It was a real wake-up call about the importance of keeping things under wraps in this industry!

The ending of season five, where Jon Snow was betrayed and stabbed by members of the Night’s Watch, was incredibly shocking and frustrating. Although it looked like he died, many viewers couldn’t believe he was truly gone, even knowing that Game of Thrones wasn’t afraid to kill off major characters.

To keep the surprise of Jon Snow’s return in season six, Kit Harington wasn’t allowed to be called by his character’s name on set. Everyone had to call him ‘LC,’ short for Lord Commander. They even removed his name from call sheets and other visible documents to prevent leaks.

Kit Harington was relieved that viewers reacted strongly to Jon Snow’s death. He worried people wouldn’t care, but the widespread grief reminded him of the reaction to the Red Wedding, suggesting they were portraying Jon’s story effectively.

As both book readers and viewers of the show knew, the creators, Benioff and Weiss, eventually had to continue the story on their own. This happened because George R.R. Martin was taking a long time to finish the sixth book, The Winds of Winter, which he’s still working on. (He did offer advice on some plot details, though, like the emotional reveal of Hodor’s backstory.)

Game of Thrones could have continued for more than eight seasons, but the creators decided to end it while it was still popular and avoid letting the show become stale.

In 2016, after the season six finale—titled “The Winds of Winter”—showrunner David Weiss explained to Deadline that they aimed to end the series while viewers were still highly engaged. He said they wanted to leave on a positive note, rather than have people feel relieved it was finally over.

According to Benioff, they’re aiming to create a complete, satisfying story with a clear start, middle, and finish. As Dan mentioned, they’ve had the ending planned for a while and are now rapidly approaching it.

From the very beginning, when we first presented the idea to HBO, we envisioned a complete, self-contained story, not a series that would need to constantly invent new plotlines. We didn’t want to artificially extend it just to add more hours or keep viewers engaged. Our goal was to create something that felt like one continuous narrative when watched from beginning to end, and we’re now approaching the conclusion of that story.

Filming Game of Thrones was incredibly challenging, just as you might expect. Everything from the elaborate costumes – which took a full hour to put on – to the massive scenes, like the ‘Battle of the Bastards’ in season six, required huge effort. They had to gather 500 extras and use visual effects to make it appear as if there were 8,000 people, and manage dozens of horses.

Towards the end of filming, when things like water bottles and Starbucks cups started appearing in shots, the team was likely exhausted and losing focus.

Benioff told Deadline that the horses were the biggest challenge during the battle for Winterfell between Jon Snow and Ramsay Baratheon, adding a lot of complexity to the scene. He gave credit to Camilla Naprous, the horse trainer, for successfully managing the animals and making the sequence work.

The show also benefits from incredible stunt work and a director, Miguel Sapochnik, who is exceptionally thorough in his pre-production. He spends a lot of time planning each shot in detail, ensuring he knows exactly what he wants when filming begins. Although they only film for ten hours a day, they need to accomplish a lot in that time. The level of preparation Miguel puts in is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and it really shows in the final product.

Throughout its 73 episodes, Game of Thrones cost roughly $100 million per season to produce. Costs increased significantly, starting at $6 million per episode in the first season and reaching $15 million per episode by the eighth and final season, according to Variety. Despite the expense, the show earned HBO 59 Emmy Awards, revolutionized the fantasy genre, and had a profound impact on the careers of those involved.

And you can’t really put a price tag on that.

2026-01-24 00:54

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