Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams loved new role from Early on

THINK of a cave dweller and what do you get?

Did you see someone playing football?

No, neither did I and yet that is one of the main pastimes of Goona, a character from Early Man, out this week.

The latest offering from Nick Park and Aardman Productions — the same people who brought us Wallace & Gromit — the movie sees cave dwellers reimagined in claymation format.

Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams — best known to some as Arya Stark — lent her voice to Goona, the football-playing female, and was thrilled to be on board, as it harked back to her own childhood memories making her own films.

“When I was younger, I used to make little claymation films with one of my friends,” said Maisie, who has also previously starred as Ashildr in Doctor Who.

“We’d go to his house and make animations.

“Initially, I was just excited to work with Aardman and to get to do a claymation film — that was really, really exciting.

“In terms of doing the job in hand, it was really different to anything I’d ever done.

“You only have your voice to portray a character and to tell a story, and it was a real challenge for me as an actor.

“The way director Nick Park works is incredible and he’s willing to give you a line reading.

“I mean, there are so many ways you could say a line and when you strip everything back and your voice is the only tool you’re using — or the only one that counts — it can get very intricate. I had the best time.

“It was fantastic. I just want to keep Goona on a shelf somewhere!”

Maisie revealed that she had imagined Goona would have a Norwegian accent, and took to YouTube to perfect it.

“I found a YouTuber — YouTube is great,” explained the 20-year-old.

“She was a girl from Norway who has a channel and just talks to the camera.

“I was just mimicking something like that.

“It’s quite exciting when you’re creating a cartoon character, because you can just have fun with it and it’s not like a test. Nothing’s wrong.”

Maisie wasn’t the only one to be excited to be included in the cast of the new animated movie, with Tom Hiddleston — the voice of Lord Nooth — saying: “Wallace and Gromit were a huge part of my childhood.

“Nick and Aardman’s work is so unique and distinctive and particular. It has such a British charm.

“When this came towards me, it was a package, it was a script and a little sketch of Nooth,” revealed Tom, who starred alongside Hugh Laurie in BBC’s highly-successful The Night Manager.

“I read it very quickly and it made me laugh.

“I was so honoured to be asked to be involved.”

The movie is the story of how one plucky caveman unites his tribe against a mighty enemy and saves the day — while also inadvertently inventing the game of football.

Early Man is in cinemas from Friday, January 26.