Lena Headey is a talented actress and producer, remembered by millions of television viewers thanks to her participation in the American television series “Game of Thrones.”
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/billstrain/
The celebrity appeared before fans as the ambitious and ruthless Cersei Lannister. The British native also has many popular films and TV series on her track record. The woman was nominated several times for the most prestigious awards. The text of this article contains the most interesting facts about the biography, career and personal life of the star.
Biography
1. Atypical place of birth.
The girl was born on October 3, 1973 in the small town of Hamilton, located in Bermuda. It was in this British overseas territory that Lina’s dad, a graduate of the Yorkshire County Police Academy, came to serve. The law enforcement officer lived on the archipelago for several years. Here the man and his lover had a daughter, Lena Headey. The baby spent the first five years of her life on the island, then the family returned back to Yorkshire.
2. Childhood dream.
Lina never wanted to become an actress. Such thoughts did not arise in her even as a child; she was an average girl from the English province. The little girl did not want to attend acting classes and did not even intend to participate in school plays.
The baby still could not imagine her life without creativity. She dreamed of working as a stylist or hairdresser, and was also interested in fashion trends.
3. Childhood tragedy.
Lina realized early on that it was difficult for her to care for pets. As a child, two hamsters and a goldfish lived in her house. The real tragedy happened when the little girl decided to swim with the fish in the hot jacuzzi. Such a prank ended very badly, the pet was boiled.
4. Difficult character.
Headey was quite a difficult child. As a teenager, she spent a lot of time with her friends, wandering the streets of the city at night. For a long time the girl suffered from depression. She often did not spend the night in her parents' small house and preferred to go out with other peers. Also, the beauty never complained about a lack of male attention and often changed boyfriends.
5. Fateful accident.
The girl only occasionally took part in school plays. Little experience did not prevent the British woman from impressing one of the casting managers who saw Lina’s unprofessional performance. This happened in 1991, when the future celebrity was not yet eighteen years old.
A film representative invited Headey to the casting of the film “By the Water.” Further events developed very quickly, she was approved for her first serious role.
Career
6. Start of a career.
In 1992, Lina first appeared on the big screen as a performer in the film “By the Water.” This period became defining for the girl.
She took her debut with great responsibility, as she was specially involved in horse riding and boxing. Surprising is the fact that the debutante began to be invited to various castings and in many cases was finally approved for the role. Thus, the start of a career for an English woman who did not have a professional education was very rapid.
Over the next few years, she took part in many projects. Among them are the cult film “The Remains of the Day” with Anthony Hopkins and the film “The Great Merlin”.
7. First personal award.
Although Lina has participated in many serious projects, she has not yet applied for leading roles. For several years, the beauty appeared only in episodes of TV series or received little screen time.
She was truly able to open up in the film “Aberdeen”, where she played the girl Kaiza, whose mother is a seriously ill hospital patient, eager to meet her alcoholic husband. The actress’s efforts were highly appreciated by film critics; thanks to her dramatic role, she received an award from the Brussels Film Festival of European Cinema.
8. Looking for better roles.
Lina is a true adventurer. To achieve her goals, she did not hesitate to spend a lot of time on the road and work in other countries. The Jungle Book was filmed in India, while Aberdeen was filmed in Norway. She (along with Matt Damon and Heath Ledger) went to the Czech Republic to work on the Brothers Grimm project. Having received a role in the film “Onegin”, she had to go to St. Petersburg. The girl also worked in Germany, Romania and Mexico.
9. 300 Spartans.
In 2007, the famous film “300 Spartans” was released in cinemas. In it, Hidi played one of the leading roles of Queen Garago. Participation in this project brought the girl a new wave of universal love. The popular magazine Maxim included the beauty in the ranking of the hundred sexiest women on the planet. Later she will star in the second episode of the story “300: Rise of an Empire.”
10. Role in Game of Thrones.
In 2007, casting for the new fantasy series “Game of Thrones” began. Lina was invited to take part in the filming by her colleague and good friend Peter Dinklage (who plays Tyrion Lannister).
The large-scale project became the most successful role for the Englishwoman. The film adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novels has truly taken the world by storm. Fans watched with special attention the events taking place in the Seven Kingdoms. Now many TV viewers associate Lena Headey with Cersei Lannister - a cold-blooded queen who is ready to betray and kill.
This role was a real challenge for the star. She was able to demonstrate the full range of emotions, because Cersei could spring a surprise at any moment. The actress claimed that she read each new part of the script with particular interest. The moment with the city exploding even made her smile.
The episode with the naked queen deserves special attention, when a representative of the nobility is forced to walk disgraced and naked through the city. Headey was replaced by a stunt double in this segment. The actress herself claims that she is not shy about showing off her naked body (after all, she has appeared completely naked before the audience before). This time she did not dare to take such a step because she was afraid of not being able to cope with her emotions. It was very important to convey the full range of Cersei’s feelings and not be distracted by other little things. She also considered such a step too reckless, because she already had her own children.
11. Famous nominations.
The experienced actress has been nominated many times for various awards:
For the film “300 Spartans” she could receive statuettes for “Best Breakthrough of the Year” (MTV channel award) and for “Best Supporting Actress” (Saturn).
Participation in the television series based on the cult “Terminator” brought her a nomination for “Best TV Actress” (Saturn and SFX Awards).
As a result of filming Game of Thrones, she was one step away from receiving Emmy, Saturn and Golden Nymph awards.
Headey is not happy with the Game of Thrones ending
Lena Headey in “Game of Thrones”
It’s no secret that the ending of the series “Game of Thrones” disappointed a good half of the audience. Many actors are also not happy with the ending. Headey was not at all pleased with how Cersei met her end under falling bricks. According to the actress, she was “shocked” by this turn of the script, and believes that Cersei could have said goodbye to her life differently. But at the same time, she understands that the writers will never please everyone equally.
Lena Headey as Queen Gorgo in the film 300, 2006
Lena Headey and Wesley Snipes in the film "The Shootist", 2007
Lena Headey and Nick Frost in the film Fighting with My Family (2019) starring Dwayne Johnson. A biographical film about the career of wrestler Bevis in the WWE, performing under the pseudonym Paige.
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Personal life
12. Former relationships.
In 1994, the young actress began a relationship with Jason Flemyng. They met while they were part of the set of The Jungle Book. The guy and the girl dated for nine years, Lina even got a tattoo with her lover’s name on her arm, done in Thai.
The star’s relationship with Jerome Flynn was also not very successful. The parting turned out to be very difficult; Jerome and Lina did not speak for a long time. The former lovers later met on the set of Game of Thrones, because Flynn plays the role of Bronn. This fact greatly influenced the filming process, since the stars’ contracts stipulated that they could not appear in the same room. Thus, it will not be possible to see the stars together in the frame.
13. Family and children.
The girl gave birth to her first child on March 31, 2010, when she was officially married to guitarist Peter Loughran. A woman filmed the debut season of Game of Thrones while pregnant with her son. In 2013, the partners filed for divorce. Lina also has a daughter, who was born in 2020. The girl's father was director Dan Kadan, with whom the star currently lives.
Filmography[ | ]
Actress[ | ]
| Year | Russian name | original name | Role | |
| 1992 | f | By the water | Waterland | young Mary |
| 1993 | With | Second screen | Screen Two | Margaret |
| 1993 | With | Donor | Spender | Emily Goodman |
| 1993 | With | How we lived | How We Used To Live | Grace Palmer |
| 1993 | With | Soldier, soldier | Soldier Soldier | Shanna Bowles |
| 1993 | f | The rest of the day | The Remains of the Day | Lizzie |
| 1993 | f | Summer house | The Summer House | Margaret |
| 1993 | f | Century | Century | Miriam |
| 1994 | tf | Fair game | Fair Game | Ellie |
| 1994 | tf | Secret Agent MacGyver: Road to the End of the World | MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday | Elise Moran |
| 1994 | f | The jungle book | The Jungle Book | Catherine "Kitty" Brydon |
| 1995 | tf | Lovers | Loved Up | Sarah |
| 1995 | f | Grotesque | The Grotesque | Cleo Cole |
| 1995 | tf | Devil's Advocate | Devil's Advocate | Claire Rigby |
| 1996 | With | Ballykissangel | Ballykissangel | Jenny Clark |
| 1996—1997 | With | Gang of Gold | Band of Gold | Colette |
| 1997 | core | Van Gogh's ear | Van Gogh's Ear | |
| 1997 | With | Kavanagh | Kavanagh QC | Natasha Jackson |
| 1997 | With | Hunger | The Hunger | Steph Reynolds |
| 1997 | f | Face | Face | Connie |
| 1997 | f | Mrs Dalloway | Mrs Dalloway | young Sally |
| 1997 | With | Gold | Gold | Colette |
| 1998 | With | Great Merlin | Merlin | Queen Guinevere |
| 1998 | f | Man with rain in boots | The Man with Rain in His Shoes | Sylvia Weld |
| 1999 | core | Inside Outside | Inside-Out | decorating the window |
| 1999 | f | Onegin | Onegin | Olga |
| 2000 | f | Rope workshop | Ropewalk | Allison |
| 2000 | f | Gossip | Gossip | Katie Jones |
| 2000 | f | Aberdeen | Aberdeen | Keiro "Kaiza" Heller |
| 2001 | f | Overseer | The Password Officer | Emma |
| 2002 | tf | Churchill | The Gathering Storm | Ava Wigram |
| 2001 | f | Anazapta | Anazapta | Lady Matilda Mellerby |
| 2002 | f | Obsession | Possession | Blanche Glover |
| 2002 | f | Game Ripley | Ripley's Game | Sarah Trevanni |
| 2003 | f | Actors | The Actors | Dolores |
| 2003 | core | No verbal response | No Verbal Response | Dr Megan Pilley |
| 2004 | With | Snowdrop | The Long Firm | Ruby Ryder |
| 2005 | f | Cave | The Cave | Dr. Katherine Jennings |
| 2005 | f | Brothers Grimm | The Brothers Grimm | Angelica |
| 2005 | core | Around five | Round About Five | young woman |
| 2005 | f | Imagine us together | Imagine Me & You | Lucy |
| 2006 | tf | Ultra | Ultra | Penny/Ultra |
| 2006 | core | Job vacancy | Vacancy | Pam Bishop |
| 2007 | f | 300 Spartans | 300 | Queen Gorgo |
| 2007 | V | Shooter | The Contractor | Detective Inspector Annette Ballard |
| 2007 | f | Classmates | St Trinian's | Miss Dickinson |
| 2008 | f | Reflection | The Broken | Gina McVeigh |
| 2008 | f | Red Baron | The Red Baron | Keith Otersdorf |
| 2008 | f | Slut | Whore | Mother |
| 2008—2009 | With | Terminator: Battle for the Future | Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles | Sarah Connor |
| 2009 | core | Devil's Wedding | The Devil's Wedding | devil's bride |
| 2009 | f | Buried | Laid to Rest | Cindy |
| 2009 | f | Accuser | Tell-Tale | Elizabeth Clemson |
| 2009 | ki | Risen | Risen | Patty/Katie/Jasmine/Lily |
| 2009 | ms | Superhero Squad | The Super Hero Squad Show | Black Widow/Mystic |
| 2010 | f | Pete Smalls is dead | Pete Smalls Is Dead | Shanna |
| 2011 | With | White collar | White Collar | Sally |
| 2011—2019 | With | Game of Thrones | Game of Thrones | Cersei Lannister |
| 2012 | f | Judge Dredd 3D | Dredd | Madeline "Ma-Ma" Madrigal |
| 2012 | ki | Dishonored | Dishonored | Callista Karnow |
| 2013 | f | judgment night | The Purge | Mary Sandin |
| 2013 | f | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones | The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones | Jocelyn Frey |
| 2013 | f | Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box | Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box | Monica |
| 2014 | f | Very low | Low Down | Sheila Albany |
| 2014 | f | 300: Rise of an Empire | 300: Rise of an Empire | Queen Gorgo |
| 2014 | ms | Uncle Grandfather | Uncle Grandpa | Aunt Grandma |
| 2014 | ki | Game of Thrones | Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series | Cersei Lannister |
| 2015 | f | Fly | Zipper | Ginny Ellis |
| 2015 | dock | Unity | Unity | storyteller |
| 2015 | mf | Red and gray | Reds and Grays | Kiona |
| 2015 | ms | Danger Mouse | Danger Mouse | voice acting |
| 2016 | f | Pride and Prejudice and Zombies | Pride and Prejudice and Zombies | Lady Catherine de Bourgh |
| 2016 | mf | Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV | Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV | Lunafreya Nox Fleuret |
| 2017 | f | Blatant lie | Thumper | Ellen |
| 2018 | core | The charms of the main character | Leading Lady Parts | plays herself |
| 2019 | f | Fighting with my family | Fighting with My Family | Julia Bevis |
| 2019 | f | The Flood | Wendy | |
| 2019 | ms | Endless train | Infinity Train | Amelia |
| 2019 | ms | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance | Modra Fara |
Director[ | ]
| Year | Russian name | original name | Role |
| 2019 | core | Trap | The Trap |
| 2019 | ki | Freya Ridings: You Mean the World to Me | Freya Ridings: You Mean the World to Me |
Screenwriter[ | ]
| Year | Russian name | original name | Role |
| 2019 | core | Trap | The Trap |
Other facts
14. Tattoos.
Lina is a big fan of tattoos. Her body is decorated with several interesting drawings, most of which have a special meaning. She covered her first tattoo (made in honor of her beloved boyfriend Jason) with an image of a bird. The following tattoos are visible on her body: lotuses, peonies and a swallow on her back, a butterfly on her shoulder, birds breaking out of a cage on her right arm. These tattoos often created a huge headache for makeup artists.
15. Sex scandal.
Film producer Harvey Weinstein recently found himself at the center of several high-profile sexual assaults. Lina also announced a similar incident on her social networks. She said that the man noticed her at the Venice Film Festival, which took place in 2005. He invited the girl to walk around the area, and then tried to move on to closer communication, but was refused.
A repeat episode happened a few years later, but in the USA. Weinstein asked Lina to come to his room to discuss the script. The door key did not work, Harvey was forced to escort the beauty to the car, and then asked the British woman not to tell anyone about the incident. Thus, Headey's story only added to the collection of similar stories. As a result, Weinstein was expelled from the American Academy of Motion Pictures.
Quick Facts
- 16. The woman’s height is 166 centimeters, and her weight is approximately 55 kilograms.
- 17. The actress is a recognized animal rights activist. She also does not eat meat and does not wear clothes made from animal skin.
- 18. The star enjoys watching horror films, they can really relax her. In her free time, she enjoys watching musicals.
- 19. The celebrity believes in supernatural phenomena and claims that she has seen ghosts several times.
- 20. The girl got the role of Sarah Connor in the series based on the movie “Terminator”.
- 21. Headey states in interviews that she is quite shy. She is sometimes annoyed by the excessive attention of passers-by or intrusive journalists.
- 22. Lina has a younger brother named Tim.
- 23. In her free time from filming, the actress plays sports; she prefers yoga and boxing.
- 24. A British woman runs accounts on social networks. For example, 1.5 million people follow her on Instagram. Here she posts a lot of selfies, modeling photos or stills from films.
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Game of Thrones (2011–2017)
Photo source: kartinki24.ru
The plot of the famous series is based on the struggle for power on the continent of Westeros. Seven clans are waging a cruel and irreconcilable war. To achieve the goal, betrayal, conspiracies and murder are used.
Lena Headey played one of the main roles - Cersei Lannister. Her heroine is the daughter of the richest lord. As a child, a fortune teller predicted that she would be queen until a new one appeared.
Cersei is cunning and ready to betray for the sake of her interests. She appears as a proud, regal person who wants to control everything around her.
During filming, Lena met Pedro Pascal. The actor played the role of Cersei's worst enemy in the series. In real life, Lena Headey and Pedro Pascal became very close. Photos of the couple together and rumors about their romantic relationship appeared in the press. Soon the film's directors learned about Headey's pregnancy. The actress had to prepare special outfits to cover her belly and continue filming.
