Josephine Gillan: Game of Thrones ‘saved my life’

Josephine Gillan says ‘Game of Thrones’ "saved" her from her cocaine habit.

The actress – who plays prostitute Marei in the popular HBO series, which was created by George R. R. Martin – admits she sold her body to "wealthy punters" to fund her drug habitat.

She said: "’Game Of Thrones’ saved my life. I couldn’t have gone on for much longer. I was addicted to cocaine and to keep the supply I needed I had to sell my body three or four times a week. I was earning thousands of pounds a time for sleeping with wealthy punters. They’d pay a fortune knowing they were having sex with a porn star. I’d get as much as £4,000 for an all-night session. I should have been set up for life but all the money was being blown on drugs. I was a train crash.

"I was filming porn during the day as Sophie O’Brien, my alias, with a Twitter following of 8,000 fans, and turning tricks with men from 18 to 80 at night for anything from £200. Most punters couldn’t even have sex. They were either too drunk or just couldn’t get it up.

"Most of them were pathetic, they just wanted a cuddle and someone to talk to. If they wanted to pay me lots of money to sleep with me it was fine. I had drugs to buy."

And Josephine immediately felt right at home when she joined the cast.

She added to The Sun newspaper: "’Game Of Thrones’ is like one big happy family. From the minute I first joined in 2011 they made me feel so welcome.

"When I turned up in Belfast for my first shoot I was immediately invited to join them all at an Eminem concert. I was partying with Alfie Allen (who plays Theon Greyjoy) and Esme Bianco (Ros). But I was a good girl and went back to the hotel early. I knew I had to scream for that opening sex scene and I was worried about losing my voice."