Sophie Turner says training for Tomb Raider revealed a ‘perpetual’ health problem

Sophie Turner said she discovered she had a “perpetual back problem” while training for her forthcoming role as archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft in the new live-action series.

In a new interview, the Game of Thrones star talked about the gruelling physical training she undertook for a year.

“We've been doing eight hours a day, five days a week since February of last year, of training,” she said on The Julia Cunningham Show. “Yeah, so it’s been a lot.”

Amazon confirmed in September last year Turner had been cast as Lara Croft in the new series, which will be a remake of the 2000s films that featured Angelina Jolie as the titular video game character.

On the most “surprising” thing she learned while training, Turner said: “I’ve learned I have a perpetual back problem.”

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Turner also explained that she had never worked out before, which made training particularly harder.

“I also realised that it’s much easier to kind of build muscle if you’ve worked out before in your life, which I never had. So, it's taken me months and months and months to get into good shape.”

Turner’s most popular role remains her portrayal of the oldest Stark daughter Sansa, in HBO’s Game of Thrones, the television adaptation of George RR Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire.

Playing Lara Croft would be quite a departure from Sansa Stark, as Turner explained how she “also just was the one that got beat up, not the one doing the beating”, referring to her Game of Thrones character arc.

“So it's quite nice to learn how to throw a punch and not just take it!”

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Amazon MGM unveiled the first official image of Turner as the iconic adventurer last week, and confirmed that the Prime Video drama, which follows the exploits of the renowned archaeologist, is now underway.

The striking photograph released on Thursday shows Turner in full action, clad in combat-style shorts and a vest, with a gun prominently displayed against her right thigh.

Based on the popular video game franchise, the new adaptation has been spearheaded by Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who serves as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner.

Alien star Sigourney Weaver will be taking on the role of Evelyn Wallis, described as a “high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara’s talents”. Meanwhile, The Thursday Murder Club actress Celia Imrie will portray Francine, head of advancement at the British Museum, and The White Lotus star Jason Isaacs has been cast as Lara’s uncle, Atlas DeMornay.

Series creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 40, expressed her excitement, saying: “Tomb Raider boasts a plethora of iconic characters. I am thrilled to have been able to bring some personal and fan favourites to the screen while also introducing a few new rascals of our own to the mix. This cast is beyond my wildest dreams!”

Turner steps into a role previously embodied both by Jolie and Oscar-winning actresses Alicia Vikander in earlier adaptations. Jonathan Van Tulleken is directing and executive producing the series.