Game of Thronesactress Faye Marsay recently admitted that the brutality of the social media response to her character on the show drove her away from social media during and after her recurring role.
Marsay, who currently stars in the Disney PlusStar Warsspin-off seriesAndor, played Aria Stark’s (Maisie Williams) chief adversary on the island of Bravos, known simply as The Waif. She reappeared throughoutGame of Thronesseasons 5 and 6, often wielding blows and swords at one of the show’s undoubtedly most popular characters, who, in the course of the show’s many seasons, goes from child to adulthood under often harrowing circumstances.
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According toThe Independent, fan response to the Waif’s treatment ofthe beloved Arya Starkkept Marsay away from online platforms for a while, where discussions aboutGame of Throneswere often highly critical of her character and abusive toward her in real-life interactions. While the actress admits to spending some time on social media now, the response prompted her to take shelter from online discussions about the show. In an interview, Marsay said, “After Thrones came out, there was quite intense backlash at one point…Just because of the character I played. [The fans] hated her. Because Maisie’s character was, like, the one – and there I am, hitting her with a stick.”
While the internet and social media platforms are often where the fans of a show find community and discussion around their favorite franchises and characters, that fervor can also often turn negative if a character is unpopular or disliked, even for the performer in the role. “Social media can be a brutal tool, and we all know it," Marsay said. “Look at the mental health crisis that young people are going through right now — that’s not just because of the pandemic, or teenage angst!”
The anonymity of the internet can often be a ripe field for bad behavior fans might not enact elsewhere. Jack Gleeson, who playedGame of Thronesvillain Joffrey Baratheon, spoke about encountering fans on the street, though he admits they are usually friendly. According toEntertainment Weekly, Gleeson once said during a fan convention Q&A, “A lot of people come up to me because I guess this rumor started that people were horrible to me on the street or I get attacked… whereas I’ve never had one negative experience…I feel like people are extra nice to me because they think people attack me, so maybe I should keep the rumor going.”
Marsay’s experience can be compared to that of her fellowGame of Thronescast member Bella Ramsay, who caught the same sharp edges of the internet when they were cast in the game-inspiredThe Last of Us, which has achieved similar popularity for HBO. The casting of Ramsay, who previously starred as the young but fierceLyanna Mormont onGame of Thrones, elicited strong feelings and critiques on Ramsay’s appearance and suitability for the role across social media. Ramsay spoke earlier this year about the abuse they suffered online and its toll on their mental health.
