Actress Hannah Murray became beloved for her portrayals of Cassie in Skins and Gilly in Game Of Thrones, but while she was once one of Britain's brightest rising stars, her list of acting credits noticeably slowed after 2020.
Having brought a number of fan-favourite characters to life on screen, Hannah largely stepped out of the spotlight, leaving many viewers wondering what happened to the actress. Now, in her new "shockingly honest" memoir, the 36-year-old has revealed the real reason behind her absence – and the struggles she has faced since we last saw her.
© WireImageWhy did Hannah Murray disappear from the spotlight?
In her new memoir, The Make-Believe, Hannah explains that while navigating the pressures of Hollywood, she became involved in a cult-like organisation that promised magic, secret knowledge and increasingly complex rituals.
After embarking on a week-long course that isolated her from her loved ones, her mental health deteriorated and she was later detained in hospital.
As the boundaries between reality and fantasy began to blur, Hannah describes becoming increasingly drawn into the organisation's "magical" way of thinking, which claimed to offer health and happiness.
Hannah's new memoir
Speaking about the new memoir that will set out her story, Hannah said in an Instagram video: "When I was 27 years old, I was an actor starring in the HBO fantasy drama Game of Thrones. But my life behind the scenes was where things were truly fantastical. Truly unbelievable. Truly terrifying."
She continued: "In my memoir The Make-Believe, I want to tell my story of magic and madness. Of a spiritual awakening that turned into a mental breakdown. I want to take readers on the journey I went on – a journey to the edges of reality into a seductive and dangerous world where magic seems possible.
© FilmMagic for HBO"I'm very excited to to be sharing my story with you. Books and bookshops have changed my life over and over: lifted my mood, enlightened me, helped me find my way in the world. The work you do connecting books with readers is something I think is vitally important, and I want to say a huge thank you for it. I hope you enjoy The Make-Believe and help it find its way to readers."
In another promotional video for her new memoir, Hannah reveals she embarked up a journey of "spiritual awakening that turned into a mental breakdown".
Shedding yet more light into her mysterious absence from the spotlight, the star reveals she joined a wellness organisation and fell in love with its leader, a turbulent time that would lead her to being sectioned and diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Reports of Hannah's experience first emerged in 2024, when early details of the memoir revealed she had been sectioned following her involvement with a wellness cult. Hannah said she was "thrilled" to be working with her publisher, Hutchinson Heinemann, which added that the book explores just how alluring the concept of "wellness" can be.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThe publisher continued: "It's about the acting world, but also about the way all of us act, hiding our vulnerabilities from everyone except the people trained to prey on them."
"This is the story of the blurred line between what is real, and what is an illusion; what we must accept and what we wish to be true; between solid earth beneath your feet and a world where anything is possible if you only commit."
Hannah's last Game of Thrones appearance
In Game of Thrones, Hannah played Gilly opposite John Bradley's Samwell Tarly in the hit fantasy series. Gilly and Sam were among the few characters to survive until the very end, embarking on a new life with their son as Samwell became Grand Maester.
© Dave Benett/Getty ImagesHannah attended the season eight premiere alongside Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington and Sophie Turner.
Reflecting on her seven-year tenure on the show, she told WWD in 2019: "It feels like a really interesting time for me right now. I want to have more of a voice, and I don't want to just play a character in someone else's story – I want to tell my own stories."
