View gallery
Maisie Williams, 26, portrays the late Catherine Dior in the upcoming series, The New Look, and she underwent a physical change to do so. The Game of Thrones alum opened up about the transformation during a February 6 interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK and revealed what it took to become the iconic Catherine. Not only did Maisie shave her brunette tresses, but she also lost about 25 pounds during the process.
“I was eating very little, meditating all the time, burning candles and incense in my apartment,” she told the mag of the dramatic weight loss. Maisie underwent a drop in weight under the care of doctors who regularly performed blood tests and monitored her heart rate. Additionally, she explained that she had to “sweat” a ton in order to shed the pounds. “I had to be up at 4am to start sweating,” Maisie said.
She also recalled her diet during filming, which included “dehydrating” foods and beverages. “The night before, at about 7 or 8pm I was allowed to have something salty and dehydrating– some smoked salmon and a tiny glass of wine,” the 26-year-old continued. Not only was the number on the scale something that changed for Maisie, but her sleep patterns did too.
“Then I had a boiling-hot bath with lots of salts in it. And I sort of levitated to bed and slept for maybe three hours, and woke up and had a handful of nuts,” the Two Weeks to Live star shared. “I wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night at this point. I kept waking up and feeling like a marble inside a bottle, rattling around.” Later during the conversation, Maisie explained how this role was different from playing Arya Stark in GOT.
She emphasized that playing Catherine meant “building different muscles” and that this role “took over what I’m eating and how I’m moving and sleeping and thinking.” The late sister of the iconic designer Christian Dior, was a French Resistance fighter during World War II and taking on the role led to disturbing dreams for Maisie. “There was a lot of feeling restricted, almost like sleep paralysis, dreams of being trapped and attacked, and horrible visions of men in uniform,” she said.
Despite the overwhelming experience, she clarified that it was still a pleasure to embody the role of Catherine. “Every day of filming was a reminder that we were portraying a story of the horrors that humans are capable of inflicting on one another, but also the magic and the hope and the love,” Maisie added. “Ultimately, we wanted to make a show that was uplifting.” Fans can tune into The New Look via Apple TV+ on February 14.
