It's mid-May, and the temperature in London on the day we speak with Sophie Turner is unusually high—12 degrees Celsius. Although it's overcast and a bit dreary outside, it's not so dreary that the actress begins to yearn for her former life under the blue skies of Los Angeles and Miami. "No, I don't miss living in America," she says with a laugh. "I miss the sun, that's all.".
So what exactly was she happy about when she returned to this rainy (and often criticized) island in 2023?
«"Sarcasm, baked beans on toast, Jaffa Cakes, and all things British chocolate," she says. "Though what I missed most was the pub culture, especially in the spring when the pubs are packed, people come out onto the streets, and it's all so joyful.".
«"I love that kind of crowded atmosphere: New York has it, of course, but when I lived in Los Angeles, I had to drive everywhere, and I missed being able to just walk down the street and see people chatting in a pub. For me, that's England.".
Turner has experienced a lot in her 30 years. At 13, the Warwickshire native found herself in the spotlight, landing the alluring role of Sansa Stark in the mega-hit «Game of Thrones» . Seven years later, she received an Instagram message from Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers asking her out for a drink.
Turner as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones - Helen Sloane.
Unsure whether she was being scammed, Turner went to a Camden pub accompanied by her older brother. However, his assistance proved unnecessary, as the two young stars quickly developed a whirlwind romance. – She moved to Los Angeles and Miami, got married, and became a mother of two, all before she turned 27. The fairy tale was not to be. In 2023, the couple separated, and Turner returned to London with her daughters.
The actress previously said her career "stalled" in the years after having children, but she's definitely regained her confidence. Since returning home, she's starred in series such as «"Joan"» on ITV and «"Guard"» on Amazon, and is now playing Lara Croft in the first season of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider"» , which is being developed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and is likely to be released later this year.
«Right now I’m focused on Tomb Raider , she says. “It’s been like this for quite a while now, and it will be like this for a long time. I love doing this. I was born thanks to «Game of Thrones» : TV is my bread and butter and I enjoy developing a character over the years. If it weren't for «Game of Thrones» , it would be too hard, but now it brings joy.".
Turner plays Lara Croft in the new season of Tomb Raider on Amazon Prime Video – Jay Maidment
The role of Lara Croft also gave Turner the opportunity to experiment with hair color for the first time in many years - brunette. "I've been dyeing my hair since I was 13, when I had to go red for «Game of Thrones »,» she says, “so right now I don’t associate myself with any particular hair color, although it will be interesting to see how the world reacts to it.”.
«"For me, blonde hair evokes the most positive reactions, red hair less so, and when it does, it's quite intense. With dark hair, you're kind of camouflaged, which I really like. And I'm less likely to get recognized, which is great.".
Turner hasn't always coped well with the pressures of the press and public, so it's no surprise that she enjoys anonymity. After her difficult divorce from Jonas, a narrative circulated online that he was a caring and loving father, while she was a party-crazed actress who couldn't put her children first. .
In an interview Vogue In 2024, she said, "I felt like I was watching a movie about my life that I didn't write, produce, or star in. It was shocking. I'm still in shock.".
Turner faced criticism in the press after her divorce from Joe Jonas — Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Turner, who has also spoken about how isolated she felt in America, found acting to be a way for her to process the most traumatic events of her twenties. "It's cathartic," she says. "I need to be creative to process what was happening in my life and to get something out of me.".
«A few years ago I starred in a film called «"Trust"» "It's about a girl who was forced into hiding because she was being manipulated by the man with whom she had a child, and she needed to protect her baby. She needed to process her personal issues, and I felt like this was an opportunity to do the same.".
At times, Turner found it difficult to distance herself from the roles she played, and she explains that spending half her youth on film sets «Game of Thrones» was a disorienting experience for her.
«"I didn't know who Sansa was or who Sophie was, and I was too young to read the books, so I kind of built up her persona little by little. I had a huge identity crisis when I let her go; I didn't really know who I was or what I was doing. It was a weird and difficult time.".
Sophie Turner at the Newport Beach Film Festival at the Raffles Hotel in February – Dave Benett
Turner's life in West London is also very different from the life of the tomb raider archaeologist she now plays. "[Lara Croft] is so different from me and my personality — Without giving too much away, I'll say there's something quite toxic about her, but there's also something very focused and goal-oriented about her, whereas I have ADHD and can't complete a task without forgetting about it and moving on to something else. I'm terribly anxious and neurotic, which she obviously isn't, but we're both obsessed with history.".
As a mother of two very young daughters, five-year-old Willa and three-year-old Delphine – Turner also doesn't have the time or the ability to approach her roles with the same reverence as Daniel Day-Lewis. "Kristen Stewart once said that only men are System actors. Women are supposed to come home and cook dinner for their kids, and I can't be a psychopathic killer while I'm cooking spaghetti, can I?"«
Turner is generally very funny and quite straightforward, and I can see why she might sometimes feel like California is a lonely place, as she has that peculiarly British ability to turn almost anything into a joke.
She often bursts out laughing and tells me things I can't publish, and since we chat so easily, I understand why she has such a large group of friends. – and why being reunited with them again brought her so much happiness.
Turner says she was ready to leave her 20s behind - Dave Bennett
«"All my best friends are my age, we went to school together, and we're all in our thirties—we're just so happy to finally be out of the chaos of our twenties," she says. "We all had a little breakdown, but now we're all feeling really positive. I was ready to put that decade of my life behind me.".
For her 30th birthday, Turner threw a huge party for all her friends and family. Now the face of St-Germain cocktails, she emphasizes that, in addition to great company and wonderful music, a good drink is all that's needed for a successful evening. "You can be in a ballroom or in a park, and if you have music, drinks, and friends, everything will be great," she says.
Thanks to her role as Louis Vuitton ambassador, she'll also have a steady supply of dresses for all these parties. She's been the muse of Nicolas Ghesquière, the brand's artistic director, for nearly eight years. Although, despite all of Turner's dazzling red carpet outfits, her everyday style reflects her West London roots more than her Hollywood star image.
«"Comfort always comes first—sometimes I like to look like the most boyish version of myself—right now I'm in cargo pants and an oversized T-shirt—and sometimes I'm quite dressed up," she says. "Mostly, I like to keep it simple.".
Turner is now the face of St-Germain cocktails.
Aside from birthday parties, Turner started the new decade with the intention of taking care of her mental and physical health, which shouldn't be too difficult, as she regularly sees a therapist and says she's "addicted to the gym.".
And while she'll spend part of the summer filming, she'll spend most of her time with her daughters, whom she describes as "wonderful.".
As we say goodbye, Turner advises me to check the weather forecast, as she's almost certain a heat wave is approaching. She's right, of course. I just hope she spends some of the heat in a typical English beer garden.
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