Sophie Turner says her grandfather’s wedding ring brought her luck at the X-Men audition.
The actress, 29, made the revelation in a recent episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, recalling wearing her late grandfather’s wedding ring to her 2016 screen test for X-Men.
Turner explained that her grandfather, Robert Jesse Cotton, was a major influence in her life and had briefly worked as a supporting artist in television before his death.
Just weeks before her audition for X-Men: Apocalypse, Turner inherited his wedding ring and decided to wear it during the screen test.
“He’s my hero. My total hero,” Turner said, recalling the moment. “I got his wedding ring, wore it to the screen test, and I got the role.” She added that she still attributes her casting to him, pointing upward as she spoke about the memory.
Turner went on to portray Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) and Dark Phoenix (2019), marking her transition from television fame to blockbuster films after Game of Thrones.
The actress is now preparing to turn 30 on February 21, celebrating the 15th anniversary of Game of Thrones, and starring in upcoming projects, including Prime Video’s Steal.
In a recent appearance on CBS Mornings, Turner said she feels confident and grounded heading into her 30s following several major life changes, including motherhood and a high-profile divorce.
“I’ve been doing a lot of therapy,” she said. “I want to enter this next chapter really knowing myself, and I feel ready.”
