Arya Stark's New Look

Maisie Williams Says Goodbye to an On-Screen Father

Last week, when we spoke to Maisie Williams about Arya’s experience in ‘The Pointy End,’ we also asked her about Sean Bean’s dramatic and unexpected exit from the series. “It was great working with Sean, and now he’s gone,” she said. “So it’s going to be really hard. And Arya has to learn to live without Ned … So, in both worlds – ‘Game of Thrones’ and reality – we’re going to miss him.” Shooting Lord Stark’s final scene on the steps of Baelor’s Sept turned out to be a particularly affecting experience for Maisie: “On the day they shot the execution, there’s a part when I’m in the middle of the crowd with Yoren. All the extras were screaming and shouting, and it was really emotional. It was horrible because there were all these people yelling horrible words … it all just seemed more real then, what Arya was going through.”

Maisie Williams shares her thoughts on ‘The Pointy End’

By Steve Marzolf

Watching Arya Stark, it's hard to believe that 'Game of Thrones' was Maisie Williams’ first acting job. And, as if landing a big role with the second audition of her career weren’t daunting enough, there was also the matter of getting to know her new movie-star dad: "I was a bit apprehensive because I'd never met him before and we were supposed to have such a close relationship – and of course, it was Sean Bean," she says. 'So...I was a bit shy. He was very nice, though, and made it a lot easier. The first scene was difficult, but after that it loosened up." Unfortunately, the same kind of happy ending doesn’t seem to be in store for Arya. In an exclusive HBO.com interview, we spoke with Maisie about everything her character lost in last night's episode: her mentor, her innocence and maybe her family as well.

Read the full interview with Maisie Williams on HBO.com

The Artisans: Maisie Williams

ON THE SET

Maisie Williams describes her training and learning "every last detail" to play pint-sized swordswoman Arya Stark.

Dispatches From The Seven Kingdoms: The Favored Hand

ON THE SET
by Bryan Cogman

WARNING: POTENTIAL (MINOR) SPOILERS AHEAD

SAN ANTON'S PALACE, Malta - The waters are rising.  I'm in my chair in Video Village, feet up, knees tucked to my chest...as the muddy water creeps ever higher.  Rain pounding against the tent flaps!Flooding!  Wasn't Malta supposed to be dry this time of year???

The waters continue to rise!  Soon we'll have to swim for it.  What's to be done?  Thankfully, our stalwart line producer Chris Newman exclaims: "The drains!"  Turns out we covered up the drains earlier this morning as they read too modern, hence the flooded courtyard.  Chris wades out to the various drains, opens them up and the waters finally recede.  We're saved!

A short time later and everything's dry.  We're shooting a few scenes from Episode VIII today at San Anton's Palace, which is the official residence of the President himself.  We'll be here for several days utilizing the courtyards, colonnades, and gardens of this 15th century palace for various scenes in the Red Keep, the seat of power in the Seven Kingdoms.

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