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Margaret Constance "Maisie" Williams (born 15 April 1997) is an English actress. Williams made her acting debut in 2011 as
Arya Stark
Arya Stark is a fictional character in American author George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' epic fantasy novel series, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', where she is portrayed by English actress Maisie Williams. S ...
, a lead character in the
HBO epic
medieval fantasy
Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthu ...
television series ''
Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). She gained recognition and critical praise for her work on the show, and received two
Emmy Award nominations. Williams' other television appearances include guest starring as
Ashildr in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
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...
science fiction series ''
Doctor Who'' (2015), she has also starred in the British
docudrama television film ''
Cyberbully'' (2015), and in the British
science-fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
teen
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...
''
iBoy'' (2017). She played Kim Noakes, the central character in comedy action drama series ''
Two Weeks to Live
''Two Weeks to Live'' is a 1943 American Lum and Abner film directed by Malcolm St. Clair.
Plot
This time around, Abner Peabody, proud owner of the Jot 'Em Down general store in Pine Ridge, Arkansas, inherits railroad stock from his Uncle Ern ...
'' (2020), and portrayed
punk rock icon Jordan (
Pamela Rooke) in ''
Pistol'' (2022) a
biopic about the
Sex Pistols. Williams has also voiced Cammie MacCloud in the American animated web series ''
Gen:Lock'' (2019–present).
In 2014, she starred as Lydia in her first feature film, the coming-of-age mystery drama ''
The Falling'', for which she received critical acclaim and awards recognition. She co-starred in films such as the romantic
period-drama film ''
Mary Shelley
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...
'' (2017), the animated
prehistorical sports comedy film ''
Early Man'' (2018), and the romantic
comedy-drama film ''
Then Came You'' (2018). In 2020, she starred in the superhero horror film ''
The New Mutants'' and the
psychological thriller
Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting.
In terms of context and c ...
''
The Owners''. In 2018, she made her stage debut in
Lauren Gunderson
Lauren Gunderson (born February 5, 1982) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and short story author, born in Atlanta. She lives in San Francisco, where she teaches playwriting. Gunderson was recognized by ''American Theatre'' magazine as A ...
's play ''
I and You'' at the
Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. Roxana Silbert has been the artistic director since ...
in London, to positive critical reviews.
In 2019, Williams jointly developed and launched the social media platform Daisie, a multi-media networking app designed to be an alternative means to help artists and creators (especially those who are trying to get started) in their careers.
Early life
Margaret Constance Williams was born in
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
on 15 April 1997 to Gary Williams and Hilary Frances (née Pitt), a university course administrator who later gave up her job to support her daughter's acting career.
Williams' parents divorced when she was four months old. The youngest of four siblings - James, Beth and Ted - Williams was raised by her mother and stepfather in a three-bedroom
council house
A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 ...
in the village of
Clutton, Somerset
Clutton is a village and civil parish on the eastern edge of the affluent Chew Valley, close to the Cam Brook river, in the Bath and North East Somerset Council area, within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. The village lies east of ...
.
From an early age from when "she was tiny", Williams has always been known as "Maisie",
nicknamed because of her perceived likeness to the cartoon character from the UK newspaper comic strip ''
The Perishers''.
Williams went to Clutton
Primary School
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...
and
Norton Hill School
Norton Hill School is a state school with academy status in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, England. It is part of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership academy group. It was formerly the Midsomer Norton Grammar School.
The school had 1,519 stude ...
in
Midsomer Norton school. She subsequently transferred to Bath Dance College to study Performing Arts, where she trained in
musical theatre,
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
,
pointe
Pointe technique ( ) is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en pointe'' () wh ...
,
tap,
street,
freestyle,
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...
and
trampolining
Trampolining or trampoline gymnastics is a competitive Olympic sport in which athletes perform acrobatics while bouncing on a trampoline. In competition, these can include simple jumps in the straight, pike, tuck, or straddle position to more co ...
, with the ambition of becoming a professional dancer.
She left school at 14 years old partly due to the successful commencement of her acting career. She was then home educated, but did not take any
education examinations.
Acting career
Debut, 2011–2019: ''Game of Thrones''
At the age of 12, Williams commenced her professional acting career by co-starring in one of the largest
ensemble casts on television. She was cast as
Arya Stark
Arya Stark is a fictional character in American author George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' epic fantasy novel series, and its television adaptation ''Game of Thrones'', where she is portrayed by English actress Maisie Williams. S ...
, the feisty young
tomboy
A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...
daughter of a noble family in
HBO's
historical fantasy drama series ''
Game of Thrones'' (based on
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...
's ''
A Song of Ice and Fire''
epic fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, ...
novel series).
Williams almost missed the audition (her second in her career) because it coincided with a school trip to a farm; her mother convinced her to go to the audition.
As the series
viewership rose, the international popularity of ''Game of Thrones'' gave Williams global recognition.
The character of Arya Stark is regarded as an
anti heroine, a fan favourite that developed into one of the central protagonists in the ''Game of Thrones'' fantasy epic. The character's story arc across the first six seasons encompasses severance, trauma, tragedy and revenge.
The physical role required a young actor who could portray a deadly
assassin
Assassination is the murder of a prominent or important person, such as a head of state, head of government, politician, world leader, member of a royal family or CEO. The murder of a celebrity, activist, or artist, though they may not have a ...
. Williams, who is naturally right-handed but kept in character by performing left handed in the show, did the majority of her own stunts and fight scenes in the series. She was told a year before the filming of "
The Long Night" to build up her stamina for the episode.
Her performance in that episode, longest battle scene in film and television history, was nominated for the
2020 BAFTA TV Awards under the "Must-see moment" category. Williams appeared in all eight broadcast seasons of ''Game of Thrones'', the final episode of which aired in May 2019.
Williams has said that while she looks back at her role as Arya with pride and affection she did not miss that period of her personal life. Arya was not only younger than Williams was, but the role demanded that she was made to look boyish with short hair and make up, plus a strap across her chest that made Williams feel ashamed during her mid teen years as her feminine body developed. The character did not match who she was becoming in reality nor did Arya resemble what Williams believed to be attractive, and at the same time she resented her own body for not matching with that of her character's.
Critical reception
Williams received critical praise and recognition for her portrayal of Arya in the show.
In 2012, the second year of her professional acting career, she was submitted in the category of
Outstanding Supporting Actress for the
64th Primetime Emmy Awards
The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in prime time television programming from June 1, 2011 until May 31, 2012, were held on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. ABC televised the cer ...
by HBO, but did not make the nomination shortlist. She was awarded both the 2012
Portal Award for Best Young Actor and the Portal Award for Best Supporting Actress – Television (at 15 years, the youngest actress to achieve this).
In November 2013, she received the
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
Teen Award for Best British Actor.
August 2014 she was presented with "Best Supporting Actress, Drama" in the EWwy Awards. In 2015, she was awarded the
Empire Hero Award The Empire Hero Award is an honorary Empire Award presented by the British film magazine ''Empire''. The Empire Hero Award was first introduced at the 15th Empire Awards ceremony in 2010 with Jude Law receiving the award. Actor Tom Hiddleston is ...
, and the
Saturn Award for
Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Series. In 2016 she reached the nomination short list for a
Primetime Emmy Award for
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Begin ...
.
In 2018 Williams was nominated for the Best Performance in a Show in the
MTV Movie & TV Awards
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editio ...
. In 2019 her performance in the final season of the drama resulted in her again receiving the
Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series, as well as nominations for the
Best Hero and
Best Fight in the MTV Movie & TV Awards and
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
for The Female TV Star and The Drama TV Star.
In the same year Williams achieved her second nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Daniel D'Addario from ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' said that Williams "entered the show as a child with minimal experience, but swiftly proved herself a very gifted performer... Millions watched her grow into her talents – and a fitting end to her very unusual journey through her first role" would be for her to win an Emmy.
Ongoing acting career
2012–2015: ''The Falling'', ''Cyberbully'' and ''Doctor Who''
In 2012, Williams portrayed Loren Caleigh in the three part
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
supernatural thriller series ''