Why Maisie Williams Had Reservations About Her New Acting Role

Maisie Williams has been a part of several television shows and films, but none more famous than her role as Arya Stark on "Game of Thrones." Believe it or not, the show first aired in 2011 when Williams was just 12 years old, and fans got to see the star grow up a little more each season. She remained on the series through the very end in 2019. In Hollywood, nearly every actor has a career-defining role, like Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Greene in "Friends" or Michael Richards as Kramer in "Seinfeld." Following along with the theme, there's no doubt that Williams' role as Arya Stark put her on the map and it's likely the role that people will always remember her by.

And while the HBO series had a cult-like following during its time on-air and Williams had plenty of fans who loved her, that doesn't mean that she didn't resent the role a bit. "I think that when I started becoming a woman, I resented Arya because I couldn't express who I was becoming," she told British GQ in April. "And then I also resented my body, because it wasn't aligned with the piece of me that the world celebrated."

Interestingly enough, Williams' next role has a lot to do with her body, and it will be vastly different from her part as Arya.

Maisie Williams is taking on a new role in the FX series "Pistols," where she plays Jordan Mooney, a model who worked for the punk band the Sex Pistols. Initially, Williams revealed she had some reservations about the role. In an interview with British GQ, the actor spoke about the early stages of the casting process and what the role would entail. According to her, the casting directors were open about the fact that whoever got the part of Mooney would have to be nude quite a bit.

Williams wasn't sure about the nudity. "Just because of everything that happens in the industry and all the horror stories I've heard ... I want to be in this show because I'm the best person to do this, not because I'm the only girl who'll take her top off," she said. Director Danny Boyle helped ease her mind about the role, too. "Jordan was a political statement," Williams said, adding that "her entire ethos was turning the male gaze in on itself, and it was overtly sexual in a way that made other people feel ashamed. If I take my top off, I want to make other people feel uncomfortable." She ditched her bra and sported a sheer top for her second audition, earning the role.

On Instagram, Williams shared a teaser trailer for the series, and fans seem super pumped about it. Still, we'll never forget her for being Arya Stark in the uber-popular "Game of Thrones."