Sophie Turner spills the tea on how 'Game of Thrones' became her unlikely sex education class

It’s pretty normal to wonder what actors really take away from the roles we binge for hours, especially when those shows push the boundaries of what we see on screen.

Just like many of us Google whether "2 Broke Girls" stars Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are besties in real life (they are, by the way they’ve stayed close since the show ended), fans have always wanted to know what the cast of "Game of Thrones" thinks about the series that made them household names.

However, few celebrity reflections have been quite as eye-opening (and relatable) as Sophie Turner’s recent reveal about how she got an unexpected form of sex education from filming HBO’s "Game of Thrones".

In a candid chat on the UK “Dish” podcast with hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, Turner, 29, opened up about how growing up on set shaped her in ways most of us probably wouldn’t imagine.

“I did love making it … It was the best acting class I’ve ever had,” she shared.

Without a formal drama school, she says she learned everything from the talented cast around her, from acting techniques to industry etiquette.

“ And a bit from my parents,” she added, laughing. But it’s what Turner said next that really turned heads: “I definitely got my sex education from that show. More than enough.”

It’s the kind of confession that makes you laugh, but also think about how much we pick up from TV sometimes, more than we do in an actual classroom. Hearing a celebrity openly admit they learned about intimacy and relationships from a TV series feels oddly relatable in our streaming-obsessed age.

According to a 2021 survey by the American Sexual Health Association, many young people cite TV, movies, and online content as their first exposure to topics like consent, pleasure, and body image, often before formal sex ed classes even start.

Dr Emily Morse, sex educator and host of the "Sex With Emily" podcast, has often noted that while pop culture isn’t always accurate, it sparks curiosity and conversation.

“Shows can open doors to important topics,” she says, “but it’s crucial to balance entertainment with evidence-based education.”

In Turner’s case, it’s impossible to ignore how "Game of Thrones" portrayed sex: sometimes raw, often controversial, and occasionally criticised for normalising violence or lacking diversity.

Yet for Turner, who joined the cast at just 14, those scripts became part of her coming-of-age story.

Turner admits that some of the show’s darker scenes were tough to film. In a 2022 interview with "The Cut", she revealed she used humour between takes as a coping mechanism.

“Growing up on a show like ‘Game of Thrones’, the subject matter was so heavy that I just developed a coping mechanism of just having the most fun in between takes.”

She acknowledged she might still experience “symptoms of trauma” later, though she feels lucky she was too young at the time to grasp the heaviness fully.

It’s a reminder that while shows can teach us a lot, they can also leave an impact that isn’t always obvious. Starring as Sansa Stark at 14 and saying goodbye to the character at 23, Turner essentially grew up on screen. But ironically, she’s never actually watched the full show herself.

“It’s horrible watching yourself,” she admitted on the podcast.

A reflection on life beyond Westeros

Beyond the unexpected lessons in intimacy, Turner says "Game of Thrones" taught her professional discipline, business savvy, and how to carry herself on set.

“It informed my entire life,” she said, noting how the cast became like family. Off screen, Turner’s own life has been anything but scripted.

She married Joe Jonas in 2019, and the couple share two daughters, Willa and Delphine. In 2023, they went through a very public divorce and custody dispute, eventually reaching a temporary agreement.

Turner’s story shows that sex education doesn’t always look like a classroom lesson. Sometimes it comes in messy, unexpected ways from late-night conversations, from onscreen stories, or even from the shows we binge.

And while TV shouldn’t replace comprehensive sex ed (which experts still argue is lacking in many countries, including South Africa and the UK), it can start important conversations about relationships, boundaries and self-awareness.