For Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones wasn’t just a job — it was an education.
The British actress, 29, was just 13 years old when she was cast as Sansa Stark on the hit HBO fantasy drama, so naturally she learned a lot of life lessons on set, including, she jokes, “more than enough” about sex.
“I loved it. I did love making it. It was the best acting class I’ve ever had, because I never had proper formal training,” Turner said of the 10 years she spent working on Game of Thrones during an interview on the Wednesday, July 9, episode of the “Dish” podcast.
“So I got to learn from the amazing actors around me, which was like, I felt like I’d won a competition or something,” she added, referring to her star-studded list of costars including Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke and Peter Dinklage.
Turner added that her time on the show “informed my entire life in terms of like business decisions, just etiquette on set, how to act, everything.”
“Everything I learned [came] from Game of Thrones, and a bit from my parents,” she said, before quipping, “Really crazy s***. I definitely got my sex education from that show. More than enough!”
Game of Thrones was known for its racy sex scenes and nudity, setting its risqué tone in its very first episode with an incestuous love scene.
Despite being proud of her work, Turner said on Wednesday’s “Dish” podcast episode that she has “never watched the show” — and for pretty good reason.
“It’s horrible watching yourself,” she said. “I mean, I’ve been forced to endure, like, premieres and whatnot, but I mean, it’s just awful. I leave going into like a 2-month bout of depression after I watch myself, so I just don’t do it.”
Away from acting, Turner is a proud mom of two daughters, Willa, 4, and Delphine, 3, whom she shares with ex-husband Joe Jonas.
Turner and Jonas, 35, began dating in 2016 and got married in 2019. However, things ended just a few years later when Us Weekly confirmed in September 2023 that the Jonas Brothers singer had filed for divorce from the actress. The pair came to a shared custody agreement in September 2024.
“After a productive and successful mediation, we have agreed that the children will spend time equally in loving homes in both the U.S. and the U.K., the former couple told Us in a joint statement at the time. “We look forward to being great coparents.”
