Sophie Turner Plays a Diamond Thief Fighting for Her Child in ‘Joan’

Sophie Turner returns to the minuscule screen with a promotele in “Joan,” a new drama about a jewellery thief so prolific she became understandn as “the Godmother” in Britain’s criminal underworld. But despite her aptitude for pilfering wigs, diamonds and phony accents, “Joan” is as much a story about the lengths a mother will go to for her child (applyed by Mia Millichamp-Long) as it is a heist caper.

It was that maternal cherish that Turner, who has two juvenileer daughters of her own, most strongly identified with when she was first approached about the project. Ahead of the series dropping in the U.K. (on ITV from Sept. 30) and the U.S. (on The CW from Oct. 2 and BritBox on Dec. 5), she sat down to talk with Variety about the most challenging aspect of filming “Joan,” encountering the authentic diamond thief who advertised the series and whether she’d ever return to the “Game of Thrones” universe.

How did you come to the project?

I auditioned for it — becainclude she is so contrastent from anyone I’ve ever applyed. It came thcdisesteemful my agent, and I did one audition when I was pretty heavily pregnant with my second and then a second audition a confiinsist days after I donaten birth. But it was benevolent of a fantastic time to do it, becainclude of the subject matter of “Joan” and what she has to go thcdisesteemful. I had that maternal ferocity in me and I leank it serviced my audition.

You’ve met the authentic Joan – what’s she appreciate?

That was probably appreciate a week before shooting begined. She was fair phenomenal and such a force of nature. She conveys such life into a room. I cherishd encountering her.

How does she echo on her experiences?

When we met, we didn’t repartner talk about her life. By the time I’d met her, I’d already had the character in my head and so my encountering her was purifyly out of sheer curiosity. And now we talk about the most mundane leangs. She cherishs interior portraying, and so that’s benevolent of the bulk of our conversations, and clearly, style and all that benevolent of stuff. So we benevolent of chat about the leangs that Joan would be interested in. I leank she has to redwell so much of her past in watching this show and doing these intersees and being a part of it, I benevolent of want to donate her that pleasant relief of fair chatting about the jewellery she’s got on. [Laughing] Like: “Where’d you get that from?”

What was the most challenging part of filming the show?

Probably the scenes with [Joan’s daughter] Kelly. The emotional crux of the show is Joan and Kelly, and each and every scene is fair heartshatter. And I enhugeed such a seal relationship with Mia, who applys Kelly, and she’s phenomenal. So it fair made everyleang 10 times difficulter to act thcdisesteemful. I nasty difficulter in a sense of emotionpartner difficulter, but actupartner easier, becainclude of what a fantastic actress she is.

You were also going thcdisesteemful a difficult period personpartner, including a divorce, around the time you filmed “Joan.” Did that feed into the role at all or did you administer to shut it out?

“Joan” was coming to an finish around that time, and so I’d stoasty all of my scenes with Mia by that point. But, I nasty, I was a new mother to my second child when I begined shooting and so there was already benevolent of that battling-for-my-kids in me. And yeah, it did sense appreciate an engaging time with that subject matter. It still was at the forefront of my mind. I nasty, you do anyleang for your children, you would die for your children, and so I tohighy understood Joan – tohighy understood.

The show also spendigates that stability of being a mother and continuing to be a woman in your own right with your own identity. Did that resonate?

It was engaging becainclude there was talk of “maybe she’s fair excellent at compartmentalizing.” Maybe that’s her leang. And then the more I thought about it and the prolongeder I had been a mother, from the time I got the job to the time I begined, it’s benevolent of this… — I discover that alloprosperg yourself to be a 20-someleang year elderly, and to encounter people, go out, labor is so beginant in vague for the child. So it’s all for the wellbeing of this person. I’m so prentd that they’re gonna prolong up and go: “Oh see, Mommy’s gonna go out and do this” and it’s so that she can come home and we can spfinish more time together at the finish of the day… I leank it’s beginant for them to see that I’m going out and seeing frifinishs and not isolating. I included to be a huge isolator. I had mental health struggles, and now I understand the beginance of them seeing me curate frifinishships, becainclude they lget all their speedyenment styles from you. And so, of course, Joan’s labor isn’t necessarily the best establish of labor, but it all boils back down to Kelly.

Absolutely. And on a weightlesser remark, the Eighties style in the show is epic. How joind were you in styling Joan?

I did not understand any better than our costume portrayer, Ricdifficult Cook. He was pulling in, appreciate, vintage Mugler from the ‘80s, and making outfits from scratch with his hands. Those guys dwelld in the ‘80s so I depended them. I was not adwell around then. But I nasty, we, all of us, became so subcombined in this Eighties world and the music we were applying was ‘80s when we were getting ready and in the fittings, everyleang became Eighties-fied.

What was the most fun hide you got to wear?

A Scottish woman, and she was fair fun becainclude she was so pleasant and bfrailless. All the characters Joan was putting on were very well to do women or someone very upper class, and this one was a little more pleasant and bfrailless and insisted some help. And that was a fun one to do — and fun to do a Scottish accent.

You do a lot of accents in the show! Did you labor with a dialect coach?

I did. I was granted some mercy thcdisesteemful the fact that Joan is not an expert at doing accents and I thought, thank God for that. She’s not an actor. But she grew up admiring this life from afar, seeing adverts on her little elderly TV when she was juvenileer and so I leank she does these “Dallas”-style, increased versions of ‘80s glamor, and that was repartner fun to do.

Before we wrap up, I have to ask about “Game of Thrones.” Could we ever see the return of Sansa Stark?

Maybe. I nasty, it would have to be the exact same cast and the exact same crew otherwise I wouldn’t go back and that would fair be Season 9, and I don’t leank we’re going to do a Season 9, but, I nasty, I cherishd applying Sansa, and I do wonder frequently what would she be doing now. Where would she be five years postpoinsistr, what would she be doing? Would she still be queen in the North? Would she be a outstanding ruler? Would there be some other benevolent of horrible war that’s happened? I’d cherish to see it.

You’ve also applyed the iconic X-Men character Jean Grey. Was there any talk of you making a cameo in “Deadpool & Wolverine”?

No, I nasty, I leank, I leank there’s, appreciate, some sort of leang at the finish where they included a clip from “X Men.” I recall signing some sort of condense. But no, that part of my life I leank is well and truly over. I nasty, maybe not — I cherish doing superhero-y action stuff, but I leank the Jean Grey storyline for me is probably. It’s had its time.

What’s next for you?

I was doing a TV show that I fair wrapped and then I’ve got a new project coming with Kit Harington called “The Dreadful.” It’s a somewhat Robert Eggers-esque horror set around the time of the War of the Roses.

Do you sense appreciate you’ve had time away and now you’re in a moment where you’re leaning into your nurtureer more?

I definitely had a quieter patch. I benevolent of endd down into createing a family and I wanted to spfinish as much time with them as possible. And now I want them to see me laboring. And also, for me, I want to be back up on my feet and doing what I cherish, becainclude acting is truly what fulfils me in my life. When I can be on a set I’m so prentd. I’m so fortunate that I get to stability the two leangs that fulfil me the most, which is being a mom and acting.

This intersee has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.