The One Thing Sophie Turner Regrets Missing Out On Because Of Game Of Thrones

In the wake of director Peter Jackson's monumentally successful "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, general interest in fantasy entertainment once again began to wane. The seemingly beloved genre struggled to maintain relevancy as the 2010s approached, that is, until Hollywood found another book series to turn into viewable media. The result was HBO's "Game of Thrones," which took author George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" saga and adapted it for the small screen, sparing no expense to bring Westeros and its numerous inhabitants to television sets across the globe.

The highly successful program focused on many topics, ranging from ice zombies to politics. However, one could argue that at its core, "Game of Thrones" is a tale about family and how power can influence it in ways positive and negative. This is exemplified particularly well with the ruling house of Winterfell, the Starks, of which many meet tragic ends by the time the eighth and final season rolled around. However, a few of Ned (Sean Bean) and Catelyn's (Michelle Fairley) children wound up with happy endings of their own by the time the groundbreaking show reached its conclusion.

For instance, Sansa Stark wound up with an especially solid ending, seeing as she takes the throne of Winterfell as the "Queen in the North." However, it was a long, sad road to reach that point — one that the actress behind the character, Sophie Turner, had to sacrifice important elements of her real-life to make a reality.

A mainstay on "Game of Thrones" from the very beginning, Sansa Stark grew up in more ways than one throughout the series. She went from a timid, emotional princess into a hardened, thoughtful queen, enduring her share of highs and lows in doing so. This transformation was remarkable to watch, and Sophie Turner did an excellent job depicting Sansa for nearly a decade. While her commitment to the role was a huge plus for viewers, though, Turner's desire to live as an average high school and college student fell by the wayside as a result.

"I wish I'd had the university experience. I wish I could have gone out and drunk a lot, and thrown up in the middle of a club without it being photographed," Turner joking told AP News in May of 2019, lamenting that the (unhealthy) hallmarks of college evaded her thanks to "Game of Thrones." Nevertheless, she mentions that the experience of being a part of — at one point — the biggest TV production in the world isn't one she regrets entirely. "I am happy with my 'Game of Thrones' experience. I don't think I missed out on too much."

By the time "Game of Thrones" ended, Sophie Turner was 23 years old and had become one of Hollywood's fastest rising stars. She may have missed out on college, but suffice to say, what she did instead is nothing to be ashamed of.