Sophie Turner talks Sansa’s strengths and survival strategies

This season, Game of Thrones viewers saw Sansa Stark finally escape King’s Landing with the help of her mother’s old friend Littlefinger. In the wake of King Joffrey’s murder, however, she’s a wanted woman and discovering that living with her unpredictable aunt Lysa isn’t quite the haven she’d hoped for.

Sophie Turner sat down with TV Guide to chat about Sansa’s progress and the strong reaction, sometimes negative, that her character draws from audiences. The actress expresses frustration with some viewers’ attitude toward her character.

“People don’t like Sansa because she is feminine. It annoys me that people only like the feminine characters when they act like male characters,” Sophie says. “And they always go on about feminism. Like, you’re rooting for the people who look like boys, who act like boys, who fight like boys. Root for the girls who wear dresses and are intellectually very strong.”

Turner discusses Sansa’s strategies for survival in the treacherous political landscape, and cites a familiar mantra- “Courtesy is a lady’s armor.” She explains, “That’s why she’s one of the most intelligent characters on the show I think. She adapts so well and she has this thing where she’s probably the greatest actor out of all of them. […] She deceives with the façade of her former self and that’s what’s great. She never breaks face of this innocent naïve girl and she’s not that.”

For more on Sansa’s mindset in King’s Landing, and why people should fear Sansa more than Arya, visit TVGuide.com to read the full article.

• Published on 05/17/2014 at 9:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:42 PM CDT