Lyanna Mormont Actress Cheekily Reveals the Thing She’ll Miss Most About ‘Game of Thrones’

As a 15-year-old, Bella Ramsey, who plays Lyanna Mormont on Game of Thrones, isn’t allowed to watch the series (parents, amirite?). But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t learned a thing of two from playing the small but fierce Lady of Bear Island.

Ramsey chatted about her rise to badassdom with New York Magazine’s The Cut. And what did we learn? She’s just as cool as her character.

Anyone that dare utter, “You left Winterfell a king and came back a—I’m not sure what you are now. A lord? Nothing at all?” to Jon Snow is courageous to say the least. Well, that’s just what Ramsey’s character said in the season eight premiere. Since she joined the Seven Kingdoms fold in season six, Lyanna Mormont has never once minced words. And while we were cheering (no shade, Jon), Ramsey wasn’t sure how people would perceive her character.  

“I wasn’t sure whether people would like her or not, because she’s quite a unique character. But I’m very glad and very grateful that people do like her… I respected her. She was just words on the page, but I really felt a sense of her. I was already rooting for her. She’s a badass,” Ramsey explained.

She went on to muse that Lyanna’s chutzpah has been a source of power in her personal life. “I like how strong she is—mentally, physically, personality-wise. I like how she sticks up for what she believes in, no matter the cost or the consequences. I really admire her confidence, how she can just stand up without flinching in front of all those people.”

Ramsey closely equates her character to Brienne of Tarth, who is played by Gwendoline Christie. “They’re kind of kindred spirits. They’re both these females who are sticking up for what they believe in and proving that girls can be just as strong as boys, women can be just as strong as men,” she reasoned.

What will Ramsey miss most about portraying the Lady of Bear Island? “I think the opportunity to stand up in front of a load of grown men and shame them,” she said. “I think playing confident characters also helps with your own confidence. Say you’re in a situation where you’re feeling anxious or nervous—you can become a character and work through it that way. I’ll miss that about her.” 

So will we, Bella. So will we.