MOVIE NEWS – The Game of Thrones actress behind one of Arya Stark’s most famous nemesis, Arya Stark, has retired from the internet during the HBO series.

Game of Thrones actress Faye Marsay recently made a sad confession. She revealed that the brutal social media reactions to her character in the series caused her to distance herself from social media during and after her role.

Marsay, who is currently starring in Disney Plus’ Star Wars spin-off series Andor, played Arya Stark’s (Maisie Williams) main antagonist on the island of Bravos, known simply as “The Waif”.

She recurred in seasons 5 and 6 of Game of Thrones. Her sadism and villainy have blighted the life of arguably one of the most popular characters in the series. Arya was forced to grow up in often harrowing circumstances throughout the series’ many seasons.

According to The Independent, the fan reaction to the character and his treatment of his beloved Arya Stark kept Marsay away from online platforms for some time. On these, discussions about the series were often highly critical of her character. In fact, in real-life interactions, they were insulting. The actress admitted that she does spend some time on social media nowadays.

But the reactions have led her to withdraw from online discussions about the series. In an interview, Marsay said: “After Thrones came out, there was quite an intense backlash at one point…Just because of the character I played. [The fans] hated her. Because Maisie’s character was, like, the one – and there I am, hitting her with a stick.”

The internet and social media platforms are often the places where fans of a show can build a community around their favourite series and characters.

But this enthusiasm can often turn negative. For example, if a character is unpopular or unlikeable. Often even for the actor playing the role. “Social media can be a brutal tool, and we all know it,” Marsay said. “Look at the mental health crisis that young people are going through right now – that’s not just because of the pandemic, or teenage angst!”

Source: The Independent