Lena Headey says 'Walk of Atonement' body double backlash baffled her

Key Points:

• Lena Headey addressed the backlash over Cersei Lannister's "Walk of Atonement" scene in Game of Thrones, expressing surprise at the anger directed at her for not performing the nudity herself.
• Headey explained that the scale of filming, with thousands of extras, made it impossible to fully embody the emotional performance if she had also been naked, as it would have put her in a defensive mindset.
• She praised her body double Rebecca Van Cleave for handling the physically demanding nude scenes and highlighted that being an experienced actress and mother influenced her decision not to perform the nudity personally.
• Reflecting on her early career, Headey criticized the industry's expectation for young actresses to accept roles involving nudity or intimacy as a "rite of passage," often without feeling safe or empowered.
• Headey connected these experiences to broader issues of power imbalance and predatory behavior in the entertainment industry, noting that the #MeToo movement has empowered younger actresses to reject uncomfortable situations.