Entertainment

Maisie Williams Pre-'Thrones' Was So Different

Believe it or not, there was once life before Game of Thrones. Before actress Maisie Williams was kicking butt as Arya Stark on the HBO series, the 18-year-old was just a regular British kid. Lots of fun throwback photos of Maisie Williams before Game of Thrones exist, and it'll show you how far the actress has come. These days, Williams boasts 1 million Twitter followers and 1.4 million Instagram followers, not to mention that she stars on a wildly popular hit series on a network known for making some of the best quality television shows. She's definitely living the good life.

As hard as it is to believe, Williams' role as Arya on GoT was her first-ever acting role, when she took the job at age 12. Her career has only gained steam since she landed the part five years ago — both as an actress and as a social media superstar. Williams has done a handful of other projects outside of Westeros — The Falling and Cyberbully — and she told Entertainment Weekly that she wants to keep acting for the long haul. "This last year, the show’s become massive, overwhelming," Williams said. "It’s made me think about my future. I want to [act] the rest of my life, but I don’t want paparazzi everywhere. I don’t want to take a private jet everywhere."

Here are some photos and videos from Williams' life before Game of Thrones to remind you that she wasn't always Arya Stark (although she was just as cool).

Baby Maisie

Including a prank by her older brother. How cute!

Portrait Of A Game Face

Look at that emoting. It's no wonder she's been able to survive a lot in GoT.

Birthday Smile

A young Williams gives a big smile.

Regular School Girl

This undated photo shows Williams in her school uniform looking like a regular student.

Williams At Dance School

Before landing the role of Arya, Williams studied performing arts at the Bath Dance College in the U.K. The video above shows just how graceful she was in her pre-GoT days.

Williams' Audition For GoT

This counts as before, right? The video above is Williams' first taste of Westeros in her audition as Arya Stark. She obviously aced it.

Hard to believe the adorable toddler in these photos turned into the brave, vengeful Arya Stark GoT fans know and love, right?