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Privacy Notice Ever since Maisie Williams first shot to fame back in 2011, the talented actress has been delighting audiences with her impressive on screen presence and formidable acting skills. Whether it was bringing Arya Stark to life in the HBO show Game of Thrones, starring as Ashildr in Doctor Who, or even turning her attention towards Hollywood in films such as The Owners and Marvel’s The New Mutants – Maisie has proven time and time again that she is unafraid of a challenge. However, the young actress, 26, very nearly met her match in upcoming Apple TV+ series The New Look, when her gruelling preparations for the role of a lifetime left her “unable to sleep” and suffering from horrific nightmares.
Maisie Williams has opened up about filming The New Look in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar
(Image: PA)
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Opening up about her time on the show in an interview with Harpers Bazaar, Maisie revealed just how tough she had found taking on the role of Catherine Dior – fashion designer Christian Dior’s sister who happened to be a member of the French Resistance during World War Two. “It was a long job, and it was amazing; my whole life moved to Paris. It was hard work, but it was such an honour to do this part, and it became all-consuming,” explained Maisie. “This was a role that required an extraordinary amount of research and care – and it really hit me, bringing that wartime period back to the streets of Paris; like I could acknowledge the weight of it in a way that I hadn’t before.” It was this due care and attention to detail which saw Maisie embark on a gruellingly restrictive diet in order to realistically portray Catherine’s emaciated appearance on screen when she returned to Paris after the war.
While preparing for the role, Maisie embarked on a gruelling diet regime – and even confessed to suffering from nightmares as a result of the intense scenes
(Image: PA)
“I was eating very little, meditating all the time, burning candles and incense in my apartment,” recalled the star. “I had to be up at 4am to start sweating. The night before, at about 7 or 8pm I was allowed to have something salty and dehydrating – some smoked salmon and a tiny glass of wine.” She then added: “Then I had a boiling-hot bath with lots of salts in it. And I sort of levitated to bed and slept for maybe three hours, and woke up and had a handful of nuts. I wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night at this point. I kept waking up and feeling like a marble inside a bottle, rattling around…”
Despite the nightmares however, Maisie was still glad to have taken part as she liked to “get lost in a role” and pushed herself to complete her scenes
(Image: PA)
Among some of the most intense scenes Maisie was tasked with portraying, was the harrowing interrogation Catherine suffered by the Gestapo and later also her experience in a concentration camp. It was this level of intensity that also left Maisie battling with nightmares from the ordeal, as she added: “There was a lot of feeling restricted, almost like sleep paralysis, dreams of being trapped and attacked, and horrible visions of men in uniform.” Despite the unfortunate side effect of filming however, Maisie had no regrets about taking part in the show. “It was very relentless,” admitted Maisie. “The process of doing take after take, it really breaks down your character in a way. It’s not for everyone, but for me, I like to get lost in a role, and keep on pushing until we complete a scene.” The March 2024 edition of Harper’s Bazaar is on sale now Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnDoctor WhoMaisie WilliamsGame Of Thrones
