Sophie Turner is sharing some words of wisdom with the young stars of the new Harry Potter TV series.
Turner, 29, was just 14 when she filmed the first season of HBO’s hit fantasy drama Game of Thrones and spent many of her teenage years under the scrutiny of social media. The overwhelming online noise had a severe toll on her.
“It had such a profound impact on my mental health, like more than I could tell you. It almost destroyed me on numerous occasions,” the British actress said in a recent interview with Flaunt magazine.
Turner has been vocal in the past about struggling with her mental health and developing an eating disorder during her time on Thrones. She credits therapy with helping her overcome her struggles, adding, “One of the most important things to me in my life is talking about mental health: it’s vital.”
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As a former child star, Turner knows better than most the way fame can affect young actors and went on to express concern for new Harry Potter stars Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout and Arabella Stanton, who are set to play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, respectively, in the new HBO series.
“I look at the kids who are about to be in the new Harry Potter and I just want to give them a hug and say, ‘Look, it’s going to be OK, but don’t go anywhere near [social media],’” she said.
Turner offered the trio more advice, adding: “Stay friends with your home friends, keep living at home with your family, make sure your parents are your chaperones — it’s so important to have that grounding adjacent to the big, crazy stuff that you do.”
The Joan actress, who shares daughters Willa, 5, and Delphine, 3, with ex-husband Joe Jonas, also shared how she’d react if her kids wanted to follow in her footsteps.
“Oh God, they’re not acting! Not until they’re at least 25!” she said.
For his part, Jonas, 36, previously expressed reluctance about Willa and Delphine joining the entertainment business.
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“Doing music or acting, we might want them to wait a little while,” he said during a May interview with life coach Jay Shetty on the latter’s Jay Shetty: On Purpose Live tour.
“I think, for me, I want them to feel confident to be who they are as people, feel like they can grow up in a safe world,” he added.
