Game Of Thrones star Maisie Williams has called for more strong female roles.

Maisie, 18, plays Lydia Lamont, a schoolgirl prone to fainting fits in The Falling, which is written and directed by Carol Morley.

“I want to play good female characters, not tools or pawns in a game to make the male character look good,” she said at the film’s gala screening at the Ham Yard hotel in London.

Maisie Williams and Carol Morley
Maisie Williams and Carol Morley (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

Maisie, best known for playing Arya Stark in the fantasy series Game Of Thrones, said she has been offered superhero roles in the past.

“You look at all the massive blockbusters out there – they’re all male leads. There are so many female characters that need to be written still,” she continued.

“I’ve been lucky enough to get some sick female roles so young and I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to play s****y characters who are just there because she’s the girlfriend.”

Maisie added: “If they’re not written for me I’ll write my own roles.”

Maisie Williams
Maisie Williams (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

The film, set in 1969, also stars Maxine Peake as her agoraphobic mother, and newcomer Florence Pugh as her best friend Abbie.

Maxine said more funding needs to be given to the arts.

“Hopefully films like Carol’s will reawaken the country to the amazing talent. As a filmmaking nation we need to sort that out,” she said.

The actress, who has starred in BBC One drama The Village and is set to star in movie Funny Cow alongside Martin Freeman, admitted both projects are still in development stages because of a lack of finances.

Maxine Peake
Maxine Peake (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

“I have no idea. It’s the funding,” she said about their slow progress.

“When you think of Martin Freeman being attached – I mean, he is an amazing actor, he is the Hobbit and he is this big global star now – but it doesn’t always seem enough to get people to open up the coffers and throw money at you. So we are getting there slowly.”

The Falling opens in UK cinemas on Friday.