Joe Dempsie didn’t mince words when he opened up about the awkwardness of filming his intimate scene with Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones.

It’s always fascinating to watch young actors grow up before our eyes, especially when their talent makes such a lasting impression. Maisie Williams, who we first met as the fearless Arya Stark in Game of Thrones, is one of those rare examples.

From her debut in 2011, she had us hooked with her performance, showing a raw, undeniable talent that only grew stronger as the years went by. Her work did not go unnoticed, as she received two prestigious Emmy Award nominations for portraying the iconic Game of Thrones character.
Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones | Credit: HBO
However, Arya’s journey wasn’t without its bumps along the way. The intimacy scene in the final season involving Arya and Gendry, played by Joe Dempsie, caught many off guard.

Dempsie later opened up about the discomfort he felt while filming the scene. The actor admitted that watching Maisie grow up on screen made it tough to approach such an intimate moment.

Game of Thrones: Joe Dempsie reflected on filming with Maisie Williams

When it comes to iconic TV moments, Game of Thrones has delivered some of the most talked-about scenes in recent memory. Yet, not all of them were as easy to film as they appeared on screen. Joe Dempsie, who portrayed Gendry, opened up about one of the most controversial moments in the show’s final season.

While many fans were left speechless by Arya’s (played by Maisie Williams) sudden proposition to Gendry in the Battle of Winterfell’s tense lead-up, Dempsie confessed that it was a tricky moment for him. The reason? He had watched Maisie grow up from the very beginning of the show.

“It was an odd transition purely because I’d seen Maisie grow up”, he confessed to The Independent. Having met her as a child, the idea of filming such an intimate scene with her felt “uncomfortable”.
Joe Dempsie as Gendrey in Game of Thrones | Credit: HBO
It wasn’t simply about playing the role of Gendry in a scripted moment—it was the reality of working with someone he had watched mature over the years. Dempsie explained:

I know we were recreating fantasy, but we as actors have to make it very much in reality, and they were asking me to comment on whether I – at the time, a 25-year-old man – would like my character to hook up with a 14-year-old.

Speaking with EW, Dempsie acknowledged that it felt “slightly strange” for him because he had known Williams since she was a young girl:

It’s obviously slightly strange for me because I’ve known Maisie since she was 11, 12 years old. 

Despite the unease, Dempsie never let his discomfort get in the way of his professionalism. When it came time to film the scene, he put his personal feelings aside. “I don’t want to be patronizing toward Maisie—she’s a 20-year-old woman”, he added.

At the time, the idea of portraying such a relationship seemed out of place, even though it was rooted in the fantastical world of Game of Thrones.

What did Maisie Williams think of Arya’s controversial scene?

The scene sparked a wave of differing opinions among viewers. Some considered it a poignant “coming-of-age” moment for Arya, while others found it deeply uncomfortable (via The Sun). But it wasn’t just the fans who were stunned; the scene left both actors in a state of disbelief.

Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

For Maisie Williams, the situation was equally strange. When she first read the script, she thought it was a practical joke. “At first, I thought it was a prank”, she confessed (in the same interview with EW). It wasn’t until later, during a read-through, that the reality set in.

I got to the read-through and I’m reading the scene and thought, ‘Oh, we’re actually going to do this.’

Despite the initial shock, Williams, who might not be returning as Arya Stark in the Jon Snow spin-off, took the news in stride. The showrunners, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, reassured her that she could choose how much to reveal. The actress stated:

David and Dan were like: ‘You can show as much or as little as you want’. So I kept myself pretty private. I don’t think it’s important for Arya to flash. This beat isn’t really about that.

And for Williams, it was crucial that Arya remained true to herself.

“Everybody else has already done it on the show,” she added, showing her respect for the way Arya’s storyline had evolved. The scene wasn’t just a physical encounter; it was a deeper look into Arya’s evolution as a character and the choices she made in q face of potential death. And, as always, it was another unforgettable moment in the Game of Thrones universe.

Game of Thrones is available on Max.