Hannah Murray, a retired actor known for her role as Gilly in “Game of Thrones”, has detailed her experience surviving a wellness cult she joined in 2017. As reported by The Guardian, the writer opened up about her joy at being retired from acting, and some of the dangerous experiences she had during her time on the big screen, as she fought to better understand herself.
Murray, 36, began her career as an actor at 17 years old. She landed the role of Cassie from “Skins.” She then moved on to “Game of Thrones,” where she played Gilly from 2012 through 2019. The last part Murray took before breaking with her acting career was as a voice actor in “Shady Part of Me,” which aired in 2020.
It was during the end of her time acting that Murray, struggling with her mental health and the overwhelming pressure of her job, decided to join a wellness group that ended up taking a terrifying turn, leaving her hospitalized following a mental health breakdown, as detailed by The Guardian.
Hannah Murray Shares Her Escape From a Wellness Cult
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Murray stated, “I was looking for something to fix me entirely, a magic wand or silver bullet,” as she shared where she was emotionally at the time she joined the wellness cult. She went on to add, “Thereâs not enough critical thought about wellness. Particularly the way itâs been transformed into an industry.”
She then described how she was slowly pulled into the group over several months. Murray had been introduced to an “energy healer” by a trusted personal trainer. At the time, Murray was filming “Detroit,” and the film’s dark and emotional storyline was leaving an impact on her mental health. She recounted a particular scene that left her in a vulnerable state, which had to be filmed repeatedly. The experience was traumatic. She explained that this was when she turned to the “Energy Healer” for help.
Upon meeting the woman, called “Grace” in the interview, Murray told her everything that had been happening both on the current movie set and throughout her harrowing career. It was here that Murray explained she paid Grace for a healing session and was pointed toward a wellness class.
Murray detailed that while she was with Grace during the sessions, she “would decide to move past or gloss over or ignore so many little things” that didn’t make sense.
It was after this experience that Murray paid over $900 to be taught by another woman in London that Grace had directed her to. She then dove deep into a world of rituals and intense spiritual devotion. Murray added, “The pyramid was structured to exploit everyone who tried to climb it.”
Murray Speaks About Bipolar Diagnosis and Recovery From Wellness Cult
Murray’s break with the wellness cult came after she had spent thousands of dollars on the organization. She explained that she experienced a major mental health breakdown.
The situation was so severe that she had to be hospitalized for a month. It was during this time that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She added, “I hear so much, âWe need to talk more about mental health.â What they mean is, like, anxiety and depression. Weâre all happy to talk about that. But thereâs such a taboo around the idea of people who are sectioned. They are beyond the pale. It felt really important to say, âI went through this.â Lots of people go through this. That doesnât mean they are bad or messed up forever.”
Murray has spent her years following her escape from the cult and her choice to retire from acting, working on her writing. Her debut memoir, The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness, will be released on June 23. She has explained that she has found true joy in her life post-acting, and wakes up every morning relieved to be free of the world that had caused her so much struggle.
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