This article originally appeared in the June 2016 issue of SELF.
Sophie Turner is remarkably self-possessed.
Coming of age on-set “makes you grow up faster,” says Turner.
Raf Stahelin
“But it also ignites that playfulness within you.”
“Sansa is really coming into her own now,” says Turner.
“It was nice to explore that.”
Raf Stahelin
“I needed to get in shapeand quick!”
Her 13-hour workdays included up to 60 minutes ofexercisesix times a week.
“I never think of my days as long,” Turner says.
“I’d be in makeup from 5 a.m. until 7 a.m.
But it was much crazier for the people who were blue!”
“Both Jean and Sansa are strong characters with such great arcs,” says Turner.
“Neither starts out strong, but they find that power within them, whether literally or metaphorically.”
“I found a lot of parallels between Jean and myself psychologically,” she says.
I haven’t had that last bit to deal with!
In those glamorous pinch-me moments, it’s fun to have friends along for the ride.
Turner has become close with herGame of Thronessister, Maisie Williams, who similarly found fame as a preteen.
More important, as the only two young girls on-set, they had each other’s back.
But Maisie and I had had the exact same journey.
So we helped and supported each other."
Through it all, her family has been her most steadfast support system.
“I miss my family, and then I want to visit my school friends at uni.
I feel like I’m constantly traveling, even when I’m back from traveling.”
“I haven’t even got blinds up!”
Her usual home base is her parents' house in the country.
“Mum and Dad are so supportive of anything we kids do,” she notes.
If her creativity was inherited, Turner’s confidence is 100 percent her own.
“Obviously, with the advice of others!
But I make my own decisions.”
And once she does, her commitment is total.
“During the shoot I went hard,” she says.
“And that hasn’t stopped.”
The studio hooked her up with celebrity trainer James Farmer, who had recently worked with Lily James forCinderella.
In the beginning, “I was like, ‘Guys, Jean is telekinetic.
She doesn’t really run around,’ " Turner jokes.
But when it came to her new regimen, running was just the beginning.
She and Farmer did full-body workouts for three months.
Her varied routine included hill sprints, kettlebells, resistance bands and burpees.
Farmer also revamped Turner’s diet, guiding her toward a low-carb, Paleo-style plan.
“And I didn’t think she was eating enough of the right foods.
Now and then, she’d add a starchy veg such as sweet potatoes.
For Turner, the experience was transformative.
“I’ve really embraced healthy eating,” she says.
“It makes you feel a lot better and more energetic.
I’m inspired to get up and out.”
Including to a barre class, which this former ballerina can’t wait to try.
“All last night I was looking at them on Instagram!”
And while those physical benefits are an obvious bonus, the biggest difference may be invisible.
“Exercise has made me feel more positive about my body, less self-conscious,” she says.
It’s so liberating.”
Kind of like having a superpower.
Styled by Jessica dos Remedios.
Makeup, Maxine Leonard; manicure, Shreen Gayle at Premier Hair and Makeup.
Photo Credit: Raf Stahelin
