Why Sophie Turner is OK with Kit Harington being paid more on 'Game of Thrones'
In an overarching interview with Harper's Bazaar, Sophie Turner talks about the end of "Game of Thrones," the gender pay gap, past struggles with mental health and how she met her future husband, Joe Jonas.
While she can't reveal any spoilers from the final season on "Thrones," which starts in less than two weeks, she did compare the show's end to "a death in the family."
"I’m losing the character I’ve played so long," she adds.
And while she may be sad to be saying goodbye to Sansa Stark, she's not sad to shed all the rules that comes with being in the cast. Much like her co-star Kit Harington, Turner had some requirements when it came to her hair.
"There were moments when I was escaping Winterfell and running through woods and swimming through canals and they were like, 'Don’t wash your hair for the next two weeks.' And it was disgusting," she said.
In recent years, Turner, 23, has become an advocate for causes like #MeToo and Time's Up that are very important to her as an actress who has basically grown up in the spotlight. She also supports inclusion riders, making sure the crew on a project is split evenly between men and women.
"Now, you see women in the camera departments, producing, directing. It’s exciting," she said.
But as far as pay goes, she thinks that should be based on the character and the hours you put in.
"Kit [Harington] got more money than me, but he had a bigger storyline. And for the last series, he had something crazy like 70 night shoots, and I didn’t have that many. I was like, 'You know what... you keep that money,'" she added.
As far as the effort for equal pay for equal effort that's happening right now in Hollywood, of course she supports it and adds, "Things are getting done, but it will take a while, I think."
Aside from "Thrones," Turner is the star of the next big "X-Men" film, which centers around her character's battle with her own powers and a dark presence that lives inside her.
The film really made her think about mental health struggles she's faced in her life.
"The biggest thing I took away from this movie is what mental-health problems can do to a family and friends, and how people can walk away from you because it’s too painful to see," she said. "I have had a lot of people close to me who have struggled with their mental health, including myself, so it’s something I’m really passionate about. I have had people in my life who have been the lowest of the low, the bottom of this pit, and I’ve had to fly them out to America because they just can’t get the right help in the U.K."
She continued, "In the U.S., they are more willing to talk about their emotions. Or at least, more willing to talk about mental health. In the U.K., we have this mentality of 'chin up, get on with it, you’ll be fine'."
And finally, she spoke about her relationship with her fiance Joe Jonas.
After mutual friends had been trying to introduce the two for awhile, they actually met on social media.
"We were following each other on Instagram and he direct-messaged me one fine day, out of the blue," she said.
About her future husband, Turner says, "He’s lovely. He’s just the funniest."
"You wouldn’t expect he’s about to turn 30 this year. He’s the most fun, energetic, positive person I’ve ever seen. I’m pessimistic, so we balance each other out," she said.
While she won't reveal anything about the wedding date, she said it may be this year.
"We’re trying to keep it as low-key as possible so it’s more of an intimate thing," she said.
