“She wasn’t a conventionally attractive…”: ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Gwendoline Christie’s Honest Feelings About Fans Liking Her Character Highlights a Sad Truth

When it comes to abilities or looks, it is often seen in the entertainment industry that looks take center stage. There is an imaginary beauty standard in the industry, which is usually set by societal norms, and actors who fit the standard usually get the upper hand.

But what happens when someone breaks this mold? Gwendoline Christie is one such actress who doesn’t fit the so-called conventional beauty standards of the industry, yet her breakout role in Game of Thrones changed her career completely.

Gwendoline Christie Was Suprised After Receiving Love for Game of Thrones

Gwendoline Christie didn’t have a typical rise-to-fame journey. She initially pursued gymnastics in England, but an injury made her change her career plans. With her 6’3″ height, it was tough for her to have a variety of choices in the field of acting.

After spending some time in Drama Centre London and struggling for a while in the industry, she finally got her breakout role as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. Christie’s character was a warrior knight who had a deep sense of loyalty and honor.

She was even nominated for Emmy Awards for her role, which gave her much-deserved fame and critical acclaim. But all this success was surprising for the actress for one sad reason. In an interview with The Guardian, she said,

No one was more surprised than me that people liked my character. I just assumed that, because she wasn’t a conventionally attractive woman, people wouldn’t get behind her. I’m overwhelmed that they did.

Although Christie said those words quite candidly, it shows the sad reality of the entertainment industry. Actors who fit the conventional norms and standards of beauty get more recognized than those who are more skilled but don’t fit perfectly with the beauty standards of the industry.

In Game of Thrones, it can be seen how Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen is way ahead of her other female counterparts in terms of popularity. It is not that Clarke performed anything less in the role, but since she was portrayed as a beautiful and powerful queen, she instantly became a fan favorite.

On the other hand, Brienne of Tarth was more of a character-driven role where Christie’s beauty didn’t play any major part. Besides Game of Thrones, it was seen with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, and in many more cases where beauty overshadowed skills.

Gwendoline Christie’s Childhood Struggles and Inspirations

It was always a struggle for Christie to fit in a large group. Apart from her height and appearance, her different interests also set her apart from others. Growing up in rural parts of 1990s England, Christie was interested in performance art and foreign films. School years were challenging for her, as she revealed in her The Guardian interview,

I probably wanted to just fit in. Schools are funny things. Any young person’s experience tends to be about trying to find some comfort in fitting in.

Since she struggled to fit in, Christie decided to embrace her differences and make the most of them. She was inspired by actors who also didn’t fit well with industrial standards at the time but made it big ultimately. She said,

I became interested in the actors who transformed themselves, [Marlon] Brando, Tilda Swinton. Grace Jones really blew my mind. Such a powerful woman, who really didn’t seem to take on other people’s expectations. It was about her expectations of herself. That was monumental to me.

Even after that, her acting career didn’t start smoothly. She was warned for her height in her drama school. However, she eventually found a mentor in Simon Callow who guided and encouraged her, eventually leading to her breakout role in Game of Thrones.

All seasons of Game of Thrones are available to stream on Max.