There’s no question that one of the most beloved Game of Thrones characters is Arya Stark. Played brilliantly by Maisie Williams, the young Stark sibling pushed her way through adversity to become one of the greatest warriors in Westeros. Well, Williams' time in the GOT cast came to a close in 2019, and now she’s moved on to new iconic roles, including her latest part in Apple TV+’s The New Look. So, as this historical drama premieres on the 2024 TV schedule, the actress's co-star Ben Mendelsohn took a moment to geek out about Williams' iconic fantasy role while explaining how much he loved working with her.
Apple TV+’s The New Look follows the rise of Christian Dior right after World War II, and in it, Mendelsohn plays the legendary designer while Maisie Williams plays his sister Catherine Dior. The Bloodline star told me during an interview that he adored working with the Game of Thrones alum, and that partially stemmed from his love for the HBO megahit:
I just, I get all sorts of silly around Maisie because I became a [Game of Thrones] freak. I rejected GOT again and again, and then I became a cover-to-cover freak. And the Hound and her were my central kind of like [makes affectionate noise].
As a Game of Thrones fan, I totally understood where Mendelsohn was coming from. Whether you're watching or rewatching GOT, Arya’s story always stands out. Specifically, her arc where she’s traveling with The Hound is one of the best parts of the show, and it was easily one of the most unexpected yet perfect character pairings.
Well, considering Mendelsohn’s adoration for Arya and Game of Thrones, he couldn’t wait to work with Maisie Williams on The New Look. Plus, how she got cast only added to his appreciation, as he told me:
Maisie wasn't even in consideration for this role. She got this role completely on her own. Adam noticed, he hadn't seen GOT, and she came right through from an outfield of some other thing just came right in. And by the way she carried herself in her seriousness, and her you know, she's such a cool human, and so easy to connect with too. So, that's someone that's got a lot of space to connect with, you know, she makes it easy. You know, she makes it very easy to feel solid. We trusted each other, and we enjoyed each other. And I don't think, we weren't scared of each other, either, you know?
With the first three episodes of The New Look out, you can see how much Mendelsohn and Williams adore each other through their relationship as Christian and Catherine Dior. While Game of Thrones is easily one of HBO’s best, it’s totally possible that these two powerhouses could make this historical drama one of Apple TV+’s best shows. Clearly, they both care deeply about the series and each other, and as the Rogue One star said, they connected easily, and the GOT alum helped everyone “feel solid” in their parts.
To see Ben Mendelsohn and Maisie Williams on screen together, you can stream the first three episodes of The New Look with an Apple TV+ subscription. To understand why the Captain Marvel star was marveling over his co-star, you can check out Game of Thrones with a Max subscription.
