Maisie William came to fame playing the fearless Arya Stark on Game of Thrones. It was a role that challenged her in many ways. However, her latest project pushed her even harder.

The 26-year-old star is set to bring Catherine Dior to life in a show called The New Look. If you were unaware, Catherine is famed designer Christian Dior‘s younger sister who was arrested by the gestapo for her role in the French Resistance, which fought the Nazi occupation of France.

In an interview promoting the project, she revealed the significant amount of weight that she lost to bring Catherine to life. She also explained why the project was even more daunting for her.

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During an interview with Harper’s Bazaar U.K., Maisie shared that she lost around 25 pounds while preparing to film. She also shaved her head.

“I was eating very little, meditating all the time, burning candles and incense in my apartment,” she said, adding that she would sweat out weight before filming.

In terms of her diet, she said, “The night before [filming], at about 7 or 8pm I was allowed to have something salty and dehydrating – some smoked salmon and a tiny glass of wine. Then I had a boiling-hot bath with lots of salts in it. And I sort of levitated to bed and slept for maybe three hours, and woke up and had a handful of nuts.”

Maisie revealed that she struggled with sleeping, recalling nightmares and struggles with what she related to sleep paralysis. She also explained that she was closely monitored to make sure that she wasn’t taking undue risks with her preparation.

Playing Arya entailed “building different muscles.” However, it didn’t compare to the work that went into preparing for her new role.

Why? she explained that this process “took over what I’m eating and how I’m moving and sleeping and thinking…”

Did you see what Maisie had to say about the controversial conclusion to Game of Thrones?