Game of Thrones fans hated the Waif so much the actress had to 'take a step back' from social media

Game of Thrones fans remember the Waif well. This was the girl who made Arya Stark's (Maisie Williams) life a living hell — and even tried to kill her — as she trained to become one of the Faceless Men in Braavos during seasons 5 and 6 of the hit HBO drama. And as many actors who do their jobs well on popular TV shows know, fans can often blur the lines between characters and the people playing them.

It seems that happened to Faye Marsay, the Andor actress who played the Waif.

"After Thrones came out, there was quite intense backlash at one point. Just because of the character I played," Marysay told the U.K.'s Independent. "[The fans] hated her. Because Maisie's character was, like, the one — and there I am, hitting her with a stick."

Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage; Macall B. Polay/Courtesy of HBO Faye Marsay played the Waif on 'Game of Thrones'

Marsay is moderately active on social media at present, but at the time the show was airing, she said she had to "take a step back."

"Social media can be a brutal tool, and we all know it," she added, having starred in a 2016 Black Mirror episode all about the extremes of social media. "Look at the mental health crisis that young people are going through right now — that's not just because of the pandemic, or teenage angst!"

If anyone can relate to Marsay's experience, it's Jack Gleeson, who played the widely hated Joffrey Baratheon on the series. Although, at the first Game of Thrones fan convention in December 2022, the actor said, "I've never had any negative fan experiences or anything."

"A lot of people come up to me because I guess this rumor started that people were horrible to me on the street or I get attacked… whereas I've never had one negative experience," he explained on stage. "I feel like people are extra nice to me because they think people attack me, so maybe I should keep the rumor going."

Marsay now plays Vel Sartha, cousin to Senator Mon Mothma, on the Disney+ Star Wars series Andor.

Read the Independent's full interview with Marsay.

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