Actress Lena Headey, 50, is reflecting on the challenges she faced while filming intimate scenes for Game of Thrones.
Headey became a household name playing Cersei Lannister in the hit HBO fantasy series. However, her racy scenes also became a major talking point during her time on the show.
In a recent interview, Headey revealed the unusual step she took to avoid being pressured into more revealing scenes.
Her confession comes after the actress recently admitted she was surprised by the “insane” fan backlash over her decision to use a body double for one racy scene.
Game of Thrones star reveals unusual way she avoided more revealing scenes
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Lena Headey plays an intimacy coordinator in the upcoming audio drama Intimacy. While promoting the project, she opened up about her own experiences filming intimate scenes.
At the same time, she also discussed the drastic step she took to avoid being pressured into more revealing scenes while working on Game of Thrones.
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In an interview with HuffPost UK, Headey revealed that she filmed revealing scenes before intimacy coordinators became commonplace in the industry. As a result, she found it difficult to push back against directors who asked for “more than they need.”
The actress recalled getting a large tattoo across her back, which gave her a way to avoid requests for additional explicit scenes. He explained that the tattoo gave her a loophole when she was asked to film scenes she found uncomfortable.
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“That was quite a drastic measure, but there weren’t any coordinators. So I used ink,” she said.
Headey, who has an intricate floral and bird tattoo covering her upper back, clarified that she had always wanted to get inked and wasn’t motivated solely by her experiences on set.
Lena Headey recalls “insane” backlash over famous Game of Thrones scene
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While promoting her upcoming audio drama, the Emmy-nominated actress also discussed one of her most famous scenes from Game of Thrones.
In the season 5 finale, Cersei Lannister is forced to endure a public walk through the streets of King’s Landing without any clothes. For the wider shots depicting Cersei’s uncovered body, Headey used a body double.
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Speaking with The Telegraph, Headey admitted that she was surprised by the “insane” backlash from fans after using a body double for parts of the famous walk of shame scene.
“I was really shocked by the anger, by this idea that I’d duped the audience,” she said.
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Headey explained that the show’s enormous popularity made filming the scene with her physically present among nearly 3,000 extras logistically impossible. She therefore used a body double for the wide shots and filmed the close-ups herself.
She added, “I wouldn’t have been able to do the emotional part of the job; I’d have been in full-on defensive mode.”
Lena Headey calls out Hollywood for protecting predatory men
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In her upcoming project, Headey plays an intimacy coordinator who lands a major career opportunity, only to realize that she must work with the director who as*aulted her.
The project’s themes echo some of Headey’s own experiences in Hollywood. In 2017, Headey accused former Miramax head Harvey Weinstein of harassment.
“A job can be completely soured by one person who, for some reason, is allowed to get away with it,” she said, reflecting on her experience.
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Headey added that she was enraged by the industry’s “disproportionate” power dynamics, which can leave actresses vulnerable to exploitation. She also slammed the “weird protection” the industry offered to “predatory men.”
Aside from Headey, Intimacy also features Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and her former costar Maisie Williams. The audio drama is set to premiere on BBC Sounds on July 22.
Game of Thrones is currently streaming on HBO Max.
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