Game of Thrones is not exactly what you'd call family-friendly television. The HBO hit is known for making the most of its premium cable status, including scenes of graphic violence and gratuitous nudity. That's fine for the adults who are the show's target audience, but what about the young actors who started on the series as children?
It was just as awkward as you'd imagine, Maisie Williams (who plays fan favorite Arya Stark on the series) confirmed in a new interview with The Australian. In the profile, Williams admits that her mother, along with costar Sophie Turner's mother (Turner plays Sansa Stark) worried about exposing their young daughters to the sexual content in the show—even in read-throughs.
Per Business Insider: "Williams' and Turner's mothers stopped shielding them from the show's graphic sex and violence early on, when they debated taking the girls out of a read-through of a scene featuring two girls 'going at it' — trying to keep their daughters in the dark only served to pique their interest. 'The sex was just quite embarrassing and awkward for us,' Williams says, matter-of-factly."
The "going at it" scene was likely this one, featuring a recurring character, prostitute Ros, and another sex worker auditioning for a gig in Littlefinger's brothel by performing sex acts on each other:
Since Williams was just 12 when she started working on Thrones, it's understandable that her mom would have some concerns about the content of the series—even in scenes she wasn't in.
These days, Williams, now 21, watches the series with her family—including her grandmother, who apparently pre-games the weekly event.
"Bless her," Williams said. "My mum just plies her with more and more gin."
Clearly, Nana Williams isn't a regular grandma. She's a cool grandma.
