'Very relentless': Maisie Williams details extreme measures taken for her 25-pound weight loss for 'The New Look' role

'The process of doing take after take, it really breaks down your character in a way,' said Maisie Williams
PUBLISHED FEB 9, 2024
Maisie Williams lost over 25 pounds for her role in the series 'The New Look' (IMDb, maisie_williams/Instagram)
Maisie Williams lost over 25 pounds for her role in the series 'The New Look' (IMDb, maisie_williams/Instagram)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Maisie Williams reflected on her rigorous physical and emotional journey of transformation for her role as Catherine Dior in 'The New Look.'

The 'Game of Thrones' star shaved her head and lost 25 pounds for her latest role in the upcoming Apple TV+ series as she revealed to Harper's Bazaar UK that it was an intense process.


 
 
 
 
 
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Maisie Williams says she kept pushing herself to complete a scene

Speaking about her transformation to play the sister of designer Christian Dior who reconstructed her life following imprisonment by the Nazi at the Ravensbruck concentration camp, Williams said, "It was very relentless."

"The process of doing take after take, it really breaks down your character in a way. It's not for everyone, but for me, I like to get lost in a role and keep on pushing until we complete a scene," she added.


 
 
 
 
 
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The 26-year-old actress disclosed details of her preparation which included enduring intense physical exertion before shooting scenes.

"I was eating very little, meditating all the time, burning candles and incense in my apartment," Williams remarked.

"I had to be up at 4am to start sweating. The night before, at about 7 or 8 pm," she added.

"I was allowed to have something salty and dehydrating -- some smoked salmon and a tiny glass of wine," she further said.

"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," she continued.

"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," Williams said.

Maisie Williams' transformation took a toll on her physical and mental journey

The transformation took a toll on both her physical and mental journey. "[The role] took over what I’m eating and how I’m moving and sleeping and thinking," Williams said.

"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 added.

Catherine eventually escapes from imprisonment and her subsequent journey to Paris, where she went on to become a rose grower in Provence.


 
 
 
 
 
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"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," Williams said.

"Ultimately, we wanted to make a show that was uplifting," she added.

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