Actress Nathalie Emmanuel says that Emilia Clarke helped after a “Game of Thrones” co-star made an inappropriate comment about her “revealing” costume.
Emmanuel, who joined the cast in Season 3 as an all for Clarke’s character Daenerys Targaryen, says the two quickly became friends and always “looked out for each other”.
One time, in particular, Emmanuel discusses is when an unnamed male actor on the show commented on Emmanuel’s outfit.
Emmanuel told Vogue: “In my first season, my costume was pretty revealing, and there was an incident with a supporting actor who commented about it on set – I mean, typical – and Emilia straightaway had my back. It got handled.”
She said the experience of being one of very few women on a set of men “bonds you in a certain way.”
Emmanuel also talked about the backlash to her character’s death in the final season. Many fans criticized the showrunners for their decision of how the show ended. Filmmaker Ava DuVernay tweeted, “So… the one and only sister on the whole epic, years-long series? That’s what you wanna do? Okay.”
Emmanuel says the experience, “caused me to reflect a lot more – about race and diversity more generally,’ she said.
“At the end of the day, if there’s ever a show on the level of Game of Thrones again, representation has to be part of the conversation from the beginning. That way, no single person has to represent every other person of color.
While it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing Nathalie Emmanuel’s Missandei in HBO’s hit TV series “Game of Thrones” but she nearly gave up on her dreams of becoming an actress. “Game of Thrones” actress Nathalie Emmanuel was broke and nearly gave up acting before she landed the role of Missandei. In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Emmanuel had dropped out of school at the young age of 17 to pursue her career as an actor and was thinking about returning to school to complete her degree.
She was living in Liverpool at the top and working at Hollister. “My job was technically a ‘model’ which basically means you wear the clothes, and they control how you looked. I was folding clothes, cleaning the toilets, helping people in the changing room… it was awful,” she revealed in the interview. “Financially, I was struggling pretty badly. I still had my mortgage to pay. It felt like the right time to start exploring other options. I am a high-school drop-out, basically, because I left at 17 to go and do Hollyoaks. So I was like: ‘Oh, I guess it is time for me to go back and finish my A levels…’”
At the time, “Game of Thrones” was growing in popularity and filming season 3. She found a casting call for a non-white actor aged 18 to 23 to play a role in the show and she gave it all she had. The audition was intimidating, she said she did not hear back for weeks but little did she know, producers loved her. “I didn’t hear back so I just got on with things.
Then I was walking down the street one day, bringing my shopping home from Tesco, when I got the call,” she recalled.
“I dropped everything, screaming. I broke a jam jar on the pavement. It was all very exciting and emotional.” Talking about preparing for the role she said, “When it came to character work it was kind of difficult,” she says.
“Because in the books [by George RR Martin], Missandei is only nine years old. She is described as a very quiet, very still person. Kind of timid. But I didn’t really want that for her. I thought: ‘She has survived so much, so much horror, but underneath there’s this impenetrable strength’. So at first, I created a person who was very contained. Then I got to play with the subtleties of her coming out of that and having more freedom to think and feel.”
About Nathalie Emmaneul:
Nathalie Emmanuel is best known for her roles as Missandei in Game of Thrones and Ramsey in the Furious franchise. She has appeared in several popular films, including Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious. Her television credits include Misfits, Humans and Daybreak.
Nathalie is an advocate for mental health and body positivity. She was the host of Sky One’s Mental Up campaign which aimed to raise awareness of mental health issues in the UK and globally. Additionally, she has spoken openly about her struggles with depression and anxiety, as well as her experiences with racism in Hollywood.
In 2020, Nathalie was a candidate on Celebrity Masterchef. She also launched her own podcast, Speaking of which features conversations with some of the world’s most influential people in the entertainment industry. On the show she discusses topics such as representation and diversity in Hollywood.
Nathalie is passionate about inspiring people to find the best versions of themselves and is known for her empowering messages on social media. She strives to lead by example and has been a role model for women of all ages, especially young girls.
Nathalie continues to take on new roles and challenge herself both personally and professionally. She is an inspiration for us all, showing us that anything is possible when you have the courage and determination to pursue your dreams.
Nathalie Emmanuel has also taken an active role in philanthropy, working with several charities such as Women for Women International, Mind charity and UNICEF. She has donated her time and money to causes she believes in, and she is a very important ambassador for all the charities she works with.
Overall, Nathalie Emmanuel is an amazing example of someone who has used her fame and platform to help others and make a difference in the world. She is an advocate for mental health awareness, body positivity and inspiring people to be their best selves. Her passion, strength and determination have allowed her to achieve incredible things. We can all learn something from Nathalie’s inspiring story and be inspired to reach our own dreams!
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