“SKINS” AND “GAME OF THRONES” STAR HANNAH MURRAY ANNOUNCES 'POWERFULLY REWARDING' MEMOIR — SEE THE COVER! (EXCLUSIVE)

In 'The Make-Believe,' the actress recounts her experience in an organization with a "charismatic leader" and the breakdown that led her to reclaim her story

NEED TO KNOW

• PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover of Hannah Murray's debut memoir The Make-Believe
• The Skins and Game of Thrones actress recounts her experience searching for wellness in an organization with a "charismatic leader," and the breakdown that led her to rebuild her life
• “The events of The Make-Believe were intensely challenging to live through, but the journey of writing about them has been the most powerfully rewarding thing I've ever known,” Murray says

Actress Hannah Murray joined the entertainment industry as a teenager, playing Cassie on the cult television series Skins before taking on the role of Gilly on HBO’s Game of Thrones. But off-camera, Hollywood began to take its toll.

In her upcoming memoir The Make-Believe, for which PEOPLE can exclusively reveal the cover, Murray recounts just how far she went to find healing — along with her journey forward.

Per the memoir’s official synopsis, Murray found herself mentally and physically pushing herself to the brink throughout her career. The actress struggled with her mental health, and after going to an energy healer, she continued her quest. Along the way, she turned to an organization with a “charismatic leader,” which promised to “bring her further spiritual awards" should she become involved.

But Murray soon found herself in an environment that had “high control and financial outlay," and was soon "dangerously in love" with the organization's leader. Her search for guidance led to a mental breakdown, a stay in a psychiatric facility and a bipolar disorder diagnosis. The synopsis adds that it was also the wake-up call that Murray needed to understand that she had “fully ceded control of her life."

"I'm very very proud of this book, which has taken seven years to write,” Murray tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Throughout that process, I've felt empowered to be telling my own story and reclaiming my own narrative. I'm excited to share this story with readers, to let them inside a chapter of my life that was sometimes magical, sometimes chaotic, sometimes painful and dark.”

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Publisher The Dial Press also notes that the book “will resonate with anyone who has struggled to find agency” in their lives.

“The events of The Make-Believe were intensely challenging to live through, but the journey of writing about them has been the most powerfully rewarding thing I've ever known,” Murray adds.

The Make-Believe is Murray’s first book. It has received early praise from authors including bestseller Dolly Alderton, who says the memoir is “like nothing I have ever read before.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  The Make-Believe will be published on June 9, and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

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Read the original article on People

2026-01-16T14:14:42Z