Sophie Turner dealt with her trauma on the set of Game of Thrones by trying to have fun in between takes.

It’s been five years since Game of Thrones wrapped up and yet, people are still talking about every single controversial scene from the hit HBO series. Who would ever forget the iconic Red Wedding scene, or the death of Ned Stark – but most shockingly, the assault of Sansa Stark?

Credits: Sophie Turner in Game of Thrones / HBO

Sophie Turner was only 15 when she joined the fantasy show, and she was 19 when that controversial scene aired on television. It drew backlash from fans, but what’s more frightening was its impact on the actress.

Sophie Turner on Surviving Traumatic Scenes in Game of Thrones

Perhaps controversial scenes are already one of the main ingredients of Game of Thrones. In every episode, viewers are treated to spectacles of extreme violence, foul language, s*xual scenes, and grisly deaths. How do actors like Sophie Turner deal with these moments on set?

The English star revealed in her interview with The Cut that she developed “a coping mechanism of just having the most fun in between takes” to forget her trauma. This included singing and dancing with her costars, and it also helped that there were people around to interact with so she could easily step out of her character.

Credits: Sophie Turner in Game of Thrones / HBO

But, there is always a dark side to this. Trauma is not easily removed from a person by just having fun – it only provides temporary relief. Turner knew this, and at some point, accepted her fate. “I’m sure I’ll exhibit some symptoms of trauma down the road,” she confessed.

For a teenager to film a scene as brutal and unforgiving as her r*pe scene in Season 5 Episode 6: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken would certainly leave an indelible pain in her memory. “At that age, I don’t think I could comprehend a lot of the scene matter,” she admitted, later revealing that, at the time, she was still being chaperoned by her mother.

There are many other distressing scenes in the show that young stars had to witness on set, and somehow, for Turner, being used to this kind of set-up helped her easily step in and out of her character in the movie projects she did after the series concluded. “It’s just something that growing up on a show like Game of Thrones…” she said, referring to her decade-long involvement in the franchise.

Sophie Turner Transformed Her Trauma into Advocacy

Credits: Sophie Turner in Game of Thrones / HBO

Turner did not let her trauma from the show get in the way of helping real-life victims of abuse. Sansa’s brutal assault became her inspiration in extending a helping hand to women who were tragically assaulted during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

The actress penned an article via Thomson Reuters Foundation News where she talked about the insane backlash on her graphic scene in Game of Thrones, but more importantly, how it encouraged her to get involved in raising awareness on violence against women and the horrors that they face every day.

Hopefully, the 28-year-old star finds healing along the way just as she continues to help other people find renewed purpose in life.

Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO.