The “Game of Thrones” alum will suit up as Lara Croft in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s upcoming live-action TV series based on the 1996 video game series.

Sophie Turner reveals grueling *Tomb Raider *training led her to discover chronic health issue

The "Game of Thrones" alum will suit up as Lara Croft in Phoebe Waller-Bridge's upcoming live-action TV series based on the 1996 video game series.

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January 17, 2026 11:30 a.m. ET

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'Tomb Raider' actress Sophie Turner. Credit:

Marc Piasecki/WireImage

Sophie Turner might be on the hunt for long-lost artifacts in the upcoming *Tomb Raider* TV series, but training to play famed video game adventurer Lara Croft in the live-action video game adaptation also led the star to discover a chronic health issue.

The *Game of Thrones* actress, 29, has revealed that nearly one year of intense physical training for the part clued her in on a recurring physical problem.

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

Turner added that, in the process, she's "learned I have a perpetual back problem" that bubbled up amid preparation.**

Sophie Turner as Lara Croft in 'Tomb Raider' TV series.

Jay Maidment for Prime Video

"But, I also realized that it's much easier to kind of build muscle if you've never worked out before in your life, which I never had," the actress continued. "So, it's taken me months and months and months to get into good shape."

Cunningham observed that the admission might surprise people, as Turner is perhaps currently best known for her role as Sansa Stark in HBO's popular *Game of Thrones* fantasy series, which included lots of action sequences — though Turner reminded her audience that she was rarely involved in high-octane stunts.

"I also just was the one that got beat up, not the one doing the beating," the entertainer stressed. "So it's quite nice to learn how to throw a punch and not just take it!"

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'Tomb Raider': The evolution of Lara Croft, from polygonal pinup to action icon

If *Fleabag* writer-star Phoebe Waller-Bridge's upcoming *Tomb Raider* TV show is anything like the source games upon which it's based, Turner will throw more than just punches.

Croft, an archaeologist and globetrotting heroine, has battled everything from gun-toting human baddies to mythological creatures across multiple games since *Tomb Raider* first launched in 1996.

Amazon MGM additionally unearthed Thursday a first look at Turner in character as Croft, with Waller-Bridge's interpretation of the character drawing clear inspiration from the early video games versus the newer, grizzled depictions of Croft in more recent console editions.

Turner's costuming includes Croft's signature red sunglasses, as well as a pair of pistol holsters, tiny shorts, a teal tank top, and a leather backpack — all trademark Croft pieces from the first round of games.

Plot details surrounding Turner's portrayal of Croft — who was named the most iconic video game character of all time in a 2024 BAFTA poll — are still shrouded in secrecy, though a recent Prime Video cast announcement unveiled light clues.

*Alien* star Sigourney Weaver will play a new character named Evelyn Wallis, "a mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara's talents," an official synopsis unveiled, with other notable figures from the games also set to join. Those include Croft's flatulent butler, Winston (Bill Paterson), the explorer's uncle, Atlas DeMornay (Jason Isaacs), and Croft's tech-savvy friend, Zip (Martin Bobb-Semple).

'Tomb Raider' stars Sophie Turner, Alicia Vikander, and Angelina Jolie.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; Graham Bartholomew/Warner Bros.; Alex Bailey/Paramount

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Turner's portrayal marks the third major live-action performance of Croft in 25 years, with Oscar winner Angelina Jolie taking on the part in the blockbuster films *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider* (2001) and its sequel, *Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — The Cradle of Life* (2003), and Academy Award-winning star Alicia Vikander taking the reins in 2018's *Tomb Raider* movie.

Listen to Turner discuss her *Tomb Raider *training above.

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