Meet the Game of Thrones Stunt Double Who Does Arya Stark's Stunts | New York Post

WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS! Game of Thrones stunt double Kristina Baskett helps actress Maisie Williams perform Arya Stark's stunts on the hit HBO show. In this interview, she opens up about her backstory, how she got the job, her toughest stunts, funnest moments, playing one of the Children of the Forest, and who ends up on the Iron Throne. #GameOfThrones #AryaStark #stunt #stunts #nypost #newyorkpost #actor #actress #acting #gymnast #gymnastics Meet the Game of Thrones Stunt Double Who Does Arya Stark's Stunts From 'This ‘Game of Thrones’ secret turned Arya Stark into a badass' - https://nypost.com/2019/05/12/this-game-of-thrones-secret-turned-arya-stark-into-a-badass/ Meet Kristina Baskett, the stunt woman who whipped wide-eyed Arya Stark into a believable Night King killer. At 5-foot-2, she’s a near-perfect match for 5-foot-1 Emmy nominee Maisie Williams — and she’s got insider details to spill from the final days on set. But first, this brunette butt-kicker wants us to know she didn’t set out to be a combat-ready, dagger-wielding leather mama. “I did gymnastics my entire life and I was able to receive a scholarship to compete at the University of Utah, where I had an amazing experience,” Baskett, 31, tells The Post. “I became an NCAA champion on the uneven bars and a 12-time All-American, and I think that definitely set me up for a career in stunt doubling.” After graduating in 2009, Baskett traded in her red-white-and-blue leotard for the sparkly spectacle of Sin City. She performed with “La Réve” at the Wynn Las Vegas casino resort for two years. Her signature move for the acrobatic/illusionist troupe was a show-stopping high-dive off a giant, multi-tiered fountain amid a high-tech light show. She followed that splashy gig with her first stunt stint: Disney’s “Make It or Break It,” a gymnastics dramedy that ran from 2009 to 2012 on ABC Family. She took the “Wild” risks Oscar nominee Reese Witherspoon couldn’t and racked up more than 75 screen credits before encountering the pop culture juggernaut that is HBO’s “GoT” in 2016. “I remember waking up one morning to an email from the stunt coordinator on ‘Game of Thrones,’ asking if I’d be interested in joining the stunt team,” she says of the career milestone. “Of course, at first I was very excited. I’m definitely a big fan. I read all of the books before it was even a show.” She was on set for the entire filming of episode 3 (i.e. the infamously dark Battle of Winterfell), which consisted of three months of all-night shoots. However, Baskett claims the episode’s climactic moment — Arya’s fatal knife-drop fake-out with the Night King — is indeed enacted by Maisie herself. Alas, a less high-profile action segment is Baskett’s own personal best from her three seasons on the series. “Definitely my favorite sequence that I’ve done on the show is the chase scene through Braavos in season 6. It was so cool to actually run through the streets of Spain with a lot of action involved. I think one of the biggest things I’ve done for her character is the massive stair fall that happens during the chase scene. It was a never-ending fight of stone steps. It’s one of those where you’re like, ‘OK, I’m just gonna throw myself down these steps.’ ” Indeed, executive producer/writer/co-creator David Benioff lauds her as “an excellent stuntwoman for the dangerous stuff” in HBO’s behind-the-scenes doc about the final season. The surreal nature of this line of work is not wasted on Baskett. One minute she has a grenade in her hand, the next she’s swapped it for a cup of coffee with White Walkers. “There are so many times when I’ll look around and say, ‘This is so strange. Our lives are so weird,’ ” she says, stifling a chuckle. “When they say action you have these scary White Walker stunt men running and growling at you, trying to kill you. Then as soon as they say cut you say, ‘Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, did I hit you? Are you OK? Please let me know if I’m hurting you.’ “These random moments are some of the best memories of the show,” she says, admitting that the “very emotional” final days on set with a cast and crew that spent nearly a decade together had her “feeling the feels.” “Game of Thrones” final season airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO. The New York Post is your source for breaking news, news about New York, sports, business, entertainment, opinion, real estate, culture, fashion, and more. Catch the latest news here: https://nypost.com/ Follow The New York Post on: Twitter - https://twitter.com/nypost Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NYPost

Added 14 Aug 2026