English actor Sophie Turner has a word of caution for the young actors who will star in the highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series. In a recent conversation, the Game of Thrones star admitted that seeing Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, Alastair Stout – who will play Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger respectively – and the other child actors cast in the upcoming reboot makes her want to reach out.

“I look at the kids who are about to be in the new Harry Potter and I just want to give them a hug and say, ‘Look, it’s going to be okay but don’t go anywhere near (social media).’ Stay friends with your home friends, keep living at home with your family, make sure your parents are your chaperones—it’s so important to have that grounding adjacent to the big, crazy stuff that you do,’” she said.

The (now) 29-year-old actor, who was just 14 when she began filming as Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, explained why her warning comes from a deeply personal place. “I think social media was just really becoming a big thing after I started on Game of Thrones, so I got a couple of years of peace and quiet and then I had to adjust. It had such a profound impact on my mental health, like more than I could tell you. It almost destroyed me on numerous occasions,” she said.

Her words reflect the heavy toll that fame at a young age can take, especially in today’s digital age. Having navigated those pressures herself, Sophie stressed the importance of staying close to real friends and family to avoid being consumed by the whirlwind of attention.

The upcoming Harry Potter TV series, announced by HBO, is set to adapt each of J.K. Rowling’s seven novels into a separate season. Francesca Gardiner will serve as showrunner and executive producer (EP), with Mark Mylod directing select episodes and also joining as EP. J.K. Rowling, despite ongoing controversy over her views, revealed that she “worked closely with the extremely talented writers” on the project and will also serve as an executive producer.

For Sophie, though, the focus is less on the production and more on the children at its centre—urging them to hold on to what truly matters as the spotlight grows brighter.