Maisie Williams Once Said the Abundance of ‘Girlfriend’ Roles in Hollywood ‘Needs to Change’
Maisie Williams shot to fame playing the feisty Arya Stark in HBO’s iconic fantasy series Game of Thrones. And she quickly made waves with her acting debut. In the years since Williams has talked about the discrimination that seems to run rampant in the entertainment industry. In a 2015 interview, Williams opened up about how roles in Hollywood seem to be tailored toward men, with an overabundance of “girlfriend” roles in movies and TV shows.
Maisie Williams opened up about ‘girlfriend’ roles in Hollywood
Though Williams was young when she started out, she doesn’t hesitate to share her feelings about discrimination and sexism. In a 2015 interview with the Evening Standard, Williams shared her thoughts. “There are a lot of roles that come in that are ‘the girlfriend’ or ‘the hot piece’ in a movie or TV series,” she said (via BuzzFeed). “That’s something I’ve seen first-hand and read all the time.”
Williams gave an example. “It will say ‘Derek: intelligent, good with kids, funny, really good at this,’ and then it will say ‘Sandra: hot in a sort of cute way’ — and that’s all you get,” she explained. “That’s the way your character is described. So going into an audition, you are channeling ‘hot,’ which isn’t, like, a person, that’s not who a person is.” Williams admitted that she’s personally seen this happen. “That’s what needs to change,” she said. “I just hope that if we stop playing those characters, they’ll stop being written.”
Maisie Williams revealed that she doesn’t love the perception of feminists
Williams has remained vocal over the years about discrimination in Hollywood. And in her personal life, she considers herself to be an unabashed feminist. In 2016, she talked to Entertainment Weekly about her views on gender equality. As reported by Time, Williams said, “I remember thinking, ‘Isn’t that just like everyone?,'” speaking of the time she first found out that “feminist” was being used as a label.
“And then I realized everyone is not a feminist, unfortunately,” the actor continued. “But I also feel like we should stop calling feminists ‘feminists’ and just start calling people who aren’t feminist ‘sexist’ – and then everyone else is just a human. You are either a normal person or a sexist.”
What is Maisie Williams doing now?
While she affirms her strong opinions, Williams did say she sometimes hesitates sharing them because of potential backlash. In the end, she said she tries to do the best she can and use her voice for good.
But on the career front, Williams’ prospects are brighter than ever. She’s starred in moves like The New Mutants and Then Came You. Williams has also acted in shows like Gen: Lock and Pistol, which highlighted her range as an actor.
Fans can next see Williams in the upcoming biographical drama The New Look, where she portrays Catherine Dior, the sister of the famous fashion designer Christian Dior. Certainly, Williams has proven that she has the staying power to be a force in the industry for years to come.
