Maisie Williams says she was ‘lost’ after finding child stardom

By Marianne Garvey, CNN

(CNN) — Maisie Williams so quickly rose to fame playing Arya Stark on “Game of Thrones” that it left her feeling “lost” when the show came to an end.

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Williams reflected on her time starring on the Emmy-winning drama, the same series in which she made her acting debut and was cast at age 12.

“I was so lost for so long and I knew that I was, and when I couldn’t pin down what I felt my identity was within that, it brought me a lot of discomfort,” Williams told the publication. “It’s hard to even put myself back there and talk about how tough it was just because I think it’s done.”

Williams, now 26, played the role from 2011 until 2019, calling it a “really formative time in my life.” Experiencing rejection when auditioning for subsequent roles felt difficult, she added.

“It was at its absolute worst when I also was the most out of touch with myself — not knowing your identity and that kind of thing — I think rejection at that point felt so personal, so painful,” she said. “I’d solely compare myself to other actresses, and the way people looked, and all of the most destructive ways that you can compare yourself.”

Williams currently stars as Catherine Dior, the sister of designer Christian Dior, in “The New Look” on Apple TV+. The drama looks at the rise of modern fashion houses, set amid the conflict of World War II.

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