Sophie Turner Says She Wore One Special Jewelry Piece for Good Luck in Landing Her Role in “X-Men”
- - Sophie Turner Says She Wore One Special Jewelry Piece for Good Luck in Landing Her Role in “X-Men”
Skyler CarusoJanuary 9, 2026 at 12:57 AM
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Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty; Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox
Sophie Turner in 2025 (left); Sophie Turner in X-Men in 2016 (right). -
Sophie Turner credits one person for the reason she landed her role in X-Men when speaking on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Jan. 7
The actress cited a special wedding ring she wore to the audition that seemingly doubled as a good luck charm
She starred in 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019's Dark Phoenix
Perhaps it had some infinity stones on it?
Sophie Turner admitted that she wore a special piece of jewelry to her audition for X-Men in 2016 that she believes landed her the role of Jean Grey, the mutant superhero she'd go on to play throughout the MCU franchise.
When speaking with Jimmy Fallon during her guest appearance on The Tonight Show, the actress, 29, shouted out her grandfather, Robert Jesse Cotton, who was a supporting artist in a few television shows before he passed away.
Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty
Sophie Turner on "The Tonight Show" on Jan. 7, 2026.
The late-night host then asked her if her grandfather inspired her to pursue acting, to which she revealed the massive impact he's had on her life and career — and how he is perhaps the reason behind her blockbuster gig a decade ago.
"He's my hero. My total hero," Turner told Fallon. "When he passed away, I got his wedding ring... I think it was only a couple weeks before my screen test for X-Men, and I got his wedding ring, and I wore it for the screen test, and I got the role."
"And I give it up to Robert Jesse Cotton," she rejoiced while looking up and pointing to the sky with excitement, reflecting on the ring she believes landed her 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse and 2019's Dark Phoenix gigs.
"We love you, grandpa!" yelled Fallon. "We love you," echoed Turner.
"He loves you," the comedian said, adding, "Yeah, he's watching down. He's taking care of you." The actress confirmed, "He is."
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Alan Markfield/Twentieth Century Fox
Sophie Turner stars as Jean Grey in "X-Men: Apocalypse."
Turner has many exciting milestones to look forward to this year, both personally and professionally. She's celebrating the 15th anniversary of Game of Thrones, her 30th birthday on Feb. 21, and she has various new projects in the works, including leading the new Prime Video series Steal.
Turner opened up about her upcoming birthday when asked by Gayle King how she feels about turning 30 during her appearance on CBS Mornings on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
"I’m wondering how you’re feeling about it," King, 71, said. "Your life is just getting started, you’re now a mother of two, you went through a high-profile divorce, come out the other side."
"Yeah," acknowledged Turner, who was married to Joe Jonas for four years until he filed for divorce in September 2023.
Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox
Sophie Turner stars as Jean Grey in "X-Men: Dark Phoenix."
"You really do seem to be thriving," King told the Game of Thrones alum. "As you get ready to turn 30, what do you think about your life?"
While the journalist further noted that she thought it was "so cool" when she was 30, she recognized that others can “feel very depressed by it."
"Not me, not me," Turner replied. "I’m so looking forward to it. In the run-up to my 30th, I’ve been really doing a lot of self-work, because I want to enter this new chapter of my life really confident in myself. I want to know myself as well as I can."
She added, "So I’ve been doing a hell of a lot of therapy the past few months, and now I feel really ready to go into my 30s."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
