Early Life and Education
Sophie Belinda Turner was born on 21 February 1996 in Northampton, England, and grew up in the village of Chesterton near Warwick after her family relocated when she was a toddler. Her mother, Sally, worked as a nursery school teacher, and her father, Andrew, was employed in a pallet distribution business. Turner attended Warwick Prep School and The King’s High School for Girls in Warwick. From an early age she trained and performed with the Playbox Theatre Company, an experience that honed her craft and led directly to her professional breakthrough. She continued her education with on-set tutoring once her acting career took off.
Breakthrough: Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones
At 14, Turner was cast as Sansa Stark in HBO’s Game of Thrones, which premiered in 2011. The series became a global phenomenon, running through 2019 and transforming many of its young actors into international stars. Turner’s nuanced portrayal of Sansa, evolving from a naïve noble girl to a resilient, politically astute leader, earned wide critical notice and a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019. On set she formed close bonds with castmates, notably Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), with whom she often spoke about the pressures of growing up in the public eye, and worked under showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss alongside colleagues such as Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. As part of the ensemble, she shared in multiple Screen Actors Guild nominations recognizing the show’s cast.
Film and Television Beyond Westeros
Even during her Game of Thrones years, Turner built a varied screen résumé:
- The Thirteenth Tale (2013), a BBC drama opposite Vanessa Redgrave.
- Another Me (2013), a psychological thriller and her feature-film debut.
- Barely Lethal (2015), an action-comedy with Hailee Steinfeld and Samuel L. Jackson.
- X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and Dark Phoenix (2019), in which she played Jean Grey/Phoenix, working with James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Tye Sheridan, and director Simon Kinberg.
- Josie (2018), a Southern noir drama; and Time Freak (2018), a sci‑fi romance with Asa Butterfield.
- Heavy (2019), an indie thriller.
- Survive (2020), a survival drama made for Quibi (later available on The Roku Channel), co-starring Corey Hawkins.
- The Prince (2021), an animated satire in which she voiced Princess Charlotte.
- The Staircase (2022) for HBO Max, portraying Margaret Ratliff in the true-crime limited series led by Colin Firth and Toni Collette.
- A scene-stealing comedic turn in the teen revenge film Do Revenge (2022).
After a brief hiatus from long-form work, Turner returned to headline the UK drama Joan (2024), playing notorious 1980s Jewel thief Joan Hannington. The series, created by Anna Symon, co-stars Frank Dillane and marked a further step into producing for Turner as she took on an executive producer role.
Fashion, Brand Work, and Media Appearances
Turner has been closely associated with Louis Vuitton, frequently collaborating with artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière and fronting major campaigns. She has also served as a global ambassador for Wella Professionals. Beyond fashion, she made prominent cameos in Jonas Brothers music videos, including Sucker (2019) and What a Man Gotta Do (2020), appearing alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Danielle Jonas.
Advocacy and Public Profile
Turner has spoken candidly about mental health, discussing depression, body image, and the importance of therapy in high-profile interviews and podcasts. Her openness has been cited as meaningful to fans who grew up with her on Game of Thrones, and she continues to use her platform to encourage seeking help and de-stigmatizing mental health treatment.
Personal Life
Turner began dating musician Joe Jonas in 2016. They announced their engagement in 2017 and married in 2019, first in a civil ceremony in Las Vegas and then in a larger celebration in France. They have two daughters, born in 2020 and 2022. In 2023 the couple announced their separation; legal proceedings, including custody arrangements, followed, and by 2024 they were working toward a longer-term resolution. Turner maintains close ties with family in the United Kingdom and has split her time between the UK and the United States. Among the people commonly around her professionally and personally have been her Game of Thrones cohort (especially Maisie Williams), X-Men collaborators (including James McAvoy and Jennifer Lawrence), and members of the Jonas family, Nick and Kevin Jonas and their partners.
Selected Filmography
- Television: Game of Thrones (2011–2019); The Thirteenth Tale (2013); Survive (2020); The Prince (voice, 2021); The Staircase (2022); Joan (2024).
- Film: Another Me (2013); Barely Lethal (2015); X‑Men: Apocalypse (2016); Josie (2018); Time Freak (2018); Dark Phoenix (2019); Heavy (2019).
- Music videos and specials: Jonas Brothers’ Sucker (2019) and What a Man Gotta Do (2020); Home Movie: The Princess Bride (2020).
Awards and Recognition
Turner’s work as Sansa Stark earned her a 2019 Primetime Emmy nomination and, with the ensemble of Game of Thrones, multiple Screen Actors Guild nominations. Her performances in major franchises and limited series have reinforced her reputation for combining genre appeal with character-driven depth, positioning her as a leading British screen actor of her generation.
Our collection contains 6 quotes who is written / told by Sophie.
