“I’m scared, I’m now gonna die”: Lena Headey Was Terrified She’d Be Killed Off in ‘Game of Thrones’ After Telling George R.R. Martin 1 Unpleasant Truth

SUMMARY

• Lena Headey revealed that she hadn't read the Game of Thrones books, sparking a candid conversation with George R.R. Martin.
• Headey admitted that she feared her character Cersei Lannister would be killed off after revealing the truth to Martin.
• Despite her initial fears, Headey's portrayal of Cersei became iconic, although she later expressed disappointment with the character's underwhelming death in the series.

The world of Game of Thrones is as unpredictable as it is brutal, both on and off the screen. While there are several shocking moments that fans witnessed, one of the most harrowing scenes was when Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister was killed. One of the most satisfying villains to watch in the history of television, it was a fate that Headey had no knowledge of.

Game of Thrones | Credit: HBO

Headey once faced a moment of sheer terror that her character’s time in Westeros might be abruptly cut short. And she explained this fear in a candid conversation with A Song of Fire and Ice author, George R. R. Martin after revealing that she hadn’t read any of the books.

When Lena Headey feared her character would be killed off after she revealed she had not read the books

Lena Headey in Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Actors bringing books to live-action are often asked if they had read the source material, to help them be more truthful in their portrayals. However, most actors choose not to read or know their character’s whole life story, to let them be authentic and real instead of subconsciously relying on the text all the time.

This is what Lena Headey stated when she was once asked if she had read the books or not. Sitting beside the author of the A Song of Fire and Ice books, George R. R. Martin, Headey stated (via YouTube):

This is awkward because I am sitting next to George. I haven’t read them. I speak to a lot of people about them because seemingly a lot of people have. It’s interesting to get different takes on characters. And then of course we have the words from David and Dan. I just let it unfold, kind of like to be surprised. But I’m scared I’m now gonna die.

Well, she wasn’t wrong in her approach since it was her not reading the books that led to the creation of one of the most loved and intriguing villains to watch. From start to end, even without having read a word of the books her character came from, Headey was magnificently brilliant as Cersei Lannister.

Lena Headey was not happy with how Cersei Lannister died

Cersei and Jamie Lannister | Credits: Game of Thrones / HBO

While The Game of Thrones features some pretty satisfying deaths, many believe that it fumbled when it came to the death of Lena Headey’s Cersei Lannister. Despite being as vital and integral a character as she was, not to mention her murderous and villainous rage, Cersei ended up dying by falling debris as the castle collapsed.

Such was her death that even Headey expected there would have been more to it. In an interview with The Guardian, the actress remarked,

I will say I wanted a better death… Obviously you dream of your death. You could go in any way on that show. So I was kind of gutted. But I just think they couldn’t have pleased everyone. No matter what they did, I think there was going to be some big comedown from the climb

An underwhelming end to say the least, even fans believe that Cersei deserved to go in a more brutal way than just being buried to death by the falling castle along with her brother-lover Jamie. While The Game of Thrones has long ended, the way it continues to be talked about is a testament to its enduring fame and as long as it remains part of popular discourse, fans will continue to feel dissatisfied with how the great and brutal Cersei Lannister met her end.

The Game of Thrones is available to be streamed on HBO.

Written by Maria Sultan

Articles Published: 1996