Hannah Waddingham, had a tough time in her breakout role in Game of Thrones. Waddingham’s character, Unella, is one of the Septa of the Faith of the Seven who tortures Cersei Lannister (portrayed by Lena Headey) in the fifth season of the series. Shame! Shame! Shame!
Ted Lasso Star Shares Her Experience
Waddingham, also a star of Ted Lasso, had recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to discuss her latest film, The Fall Guy, co-starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. During the interview, the conversation turned to her experience on Game of Thrones, including any stunts she performed.
The Infamous Game of Thrones Scene
In one particular scene, after Waddingham’s character tortures Cersei, the matriarch is allowed by the High Sparrow to return to her son; however, she must first perform a walk of atonement from the Great Sept of Baelor to the Red Keep. Under Cersei’s later rule, Unella is then subjected to torture through wine-based waterboarding.
The Realities of Filming
Waddingham shared with Colbert that filming for Game of Thrones sparked a severe fear of enclosed spaces, a condition known as claustrophobia. “It was horrific. Ten hours of being actually waterboarded… Like actually,” she recounted. “I’m strapped to a table with all these leather straps. I couldn’t lift up my head because I said that would be too obvious that it’s loose.”
Physical Marks from Filming
Elaborating further, Waddingham revealed that her hair color turned purple due to the grape juice used in the scene, and she was unable to speak as the character ‘The Mountain’ covered her mouth during the intense scene. “I had strap marks everywhere like I had been attacked,” she further shared. Her story earned sympathetic laughs from another actor on set, who himself experienced rigorous filming conditions.
Wrapping Up
This account sheds light on the rigorous and often physically demanding process behind creating such iconic scenes in television shows like Game of Thrones. The commitment and dedication of actors like Hannah Waddingham to deliver believable performances often involve facing intense real experiences on set. Find more such interesting insights and stories on HitPlay.
