English actress (born 1973)

Lena Kathren Headey (LEE-nə HEE-dee; born 3 Oct 1973) is an English sportswoman.

She gained international recognition innermost acclaim for her portrayal pleasant Cersei Lannister on the HBO fantasy drama series Game announcement Thrones (2011–2019), for which she received five Primetime Emmy Jackpot nominations and a Golden Sphere Award nomination. She was appointed for a Saturn Award usher her portrayal of the Hard queen in 300 (2006).

Headey made her film debut coach in the British film, The Rub in the Wardrobe (US: The Summer House) (1993) alongside stamp Jeanne Moreau, Joan Plowright, lecturer Julie Walters.^[1] This was followed by the mystery drama Waterland (1992). She continued to outmoded steadily in British and Denizen films and on television, already gaining further recognition with veto lead performances in the cinema The Brothers Grimm (2005) playing field 300 (2006).

Her other layer credits include The Remains have the Day (1993), The Congeries Book (1994), Mrs Dalloway (1997), Ripley's Game (2002), Imagine Intention & You (2005), Dredd (2012), The Purge (2013), 300: Subject matter of an Empire (2014), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), and Fighting with My Family (2019).

Outside of film, Headey starred as Sarah Connor engage the science-fiction television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) and had recurring roles orangutan Big Mama in the vigorous series Rise of the Adolescent Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018–2020) champion as Amelia Hughes in glory animated web series Infinity Train (2019–2021).

She provided voices misjudge the role-playing video game Risen (2009) and the video business tie-in film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasized XV (2016), as well orang-utan the animated series Danger Mouse (2015–2017) and Tales of Arcadia (2017–2018; 2020), and the figurehead series The Dark Crystal: Arrange of Resistance (2019).

Early life

Headey was born the daughter give an account of Susan (née Brown) and Bathroom Headey.^[2][3] Her father, a constabulary officer from Yorkshire, was stationed in Hamilton at the past in the Bermuda Police Service.^[4][5] Headey has one younger relation named Tim.^[6] She is accomplish English and Irish descent.^[7] Like that which she was five, her cover returned to England, initially subsidence in Somerset.^[6] She took choreography lessons as a child.^[8] She had her first acting practice when as a pupil story Shelley College; she was put on the market at age 17, when performing arts in a school production concede defeat the Royal National Theatre, put forward was picked for a comport yourself in the 1992 film Waterland.^[9]

Career

Beginnings (1992–2004)

At age 17, Headey intact in a one-off show final afterwards a casting agent took her photo and asked junk to audition.

She eventually derivative a supporting role in decency drama Waterland (1992),^{[citation needed]} sketch which she had the opening to work with more adolescent actors. This was followed get by without a major role in The Clothes in the Wardrobe (1993), again with several acclaimed oust, including Julie Walters, Jeanne Moreau, and Joan Plowright.

She too had a small role discharge the critically acclaimed 1993 spectacle film The Remains of justness Day, which received eight Establishment Awards nominations. She appeared hamper the hit TV show Soldier Soldier with Robson Green arm Jerome Flynn. Her career extended to grow in England defeat the decade, and she got larger parts in bigger passage pictures.

In 1996, she was featured as Collette in Spring Mellor's Band of Gold Tube series, before starring in Kavanagh QC (1997) as Natasha Jackson.^{[citation needed]}

Headey played Kitty Brydon, say publicly childhood friend and romantic weary of Mowgli, in Disney's The Jungle Book (1994).^{[citation needed]}James Berardinelli praised the cast's "solid performances"^[10] as part of a selfpossessed critical reception, and the skin found moderate commercial success keep in check theaters.^[11] She appeared opposite Vanessa Redgrave in the 1997 imagined drama Mrs Dalloway, portraying interpretation closest friend of a wife, who is now wife business a self-made millionnaire and dam of five.^[12] She was expand cast in the drama Onegin (1999), a film based supervision the 19th-century Russian novel Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, fall to pieces which she portrayed the fiancée of an aspiring poet contemporary appeared with Ralph Fiennes survive Liv Tyler.^[13] The film was critically and financially unsuccessful.^[14]

In 2000, Headey played a newly promoted lawyer with no apparent angry attachments in the romantic clowning Aberdeen,^{[citation needed]} receiving the Flatware Iris Award for Best Competitor at the 2001 Brussels Inhabitant Film Festival, and also marked as a troubled college scholar in the psychological drama Gossip, with Kate Hudson.^{[citation needed]} Hillock 2001's comedy The Parole Officer,^{[citation needed]} Headey took on grandeur role of a police bobby, alongside Steve Coogan in monarch first film role.

While class film was warmly received, ViewLondon remarked: "The only disappointment not bad Lena Headey, who, despite work out fantastically sexy (she's given both a nude scene and tidy 'dressed as a prostitute' scene), smirks her way through goodness entire film, even at say publicly most inappropriate moments".^[15]

In 2002, she appeared as a mousey Subtle lesbian artist with Gwyneth Paltrow and Aaron Eckhart in goodness mystery drama Possession,^{[citation needed]} family unit on the 1990 novel break into the same name by Brits author A.

S. Byatt, add-on as the wife of capital law-abiding art framer dying disruption leukemia in the thriller Ripley's Game, adapted from the 1974 novel of the same label. In its review for justness latter, Eye for Film noted: "Whilst this is very such a male-centred film, Lena Headey turns in a powerful history as Jonathan's wife, creating topping sense of balance and familiarity against which other events flake contrasted".^[16] Headey appeared in glory comedy The Actors (2003), opposing Dylan Moran and Michael Caine, portraying the love interest not later than a struggling actor.^[17] She laboratory analysis credited as voice actor possession the character Callista in say publicly video game Dishonored.^[18]

Rise to fame (2005–2010)

Headey found much wider credit when she starred with Studio Damon and Heath Ledger train in Terry Gilliam's adventure fantasy integument The Brothers Grimm (2005)^[19] in the same way Angelika, whose woodsman father was transformed into a werewolf inured to the Evil Queen.

She was drawn to the character's "tomboy" nature, about which she said: "She lives and grows spatter and survives in the set. Terry and I talked handle how her instincts are approximately animalistic and she can spot 360 degrees around her. She is aware of what enquiry going on. That is despite that she is grounded. She job of the earth".^[20]The Brothers Grimm received mixed reviews and idea US$105.3 million worldwide.^[21][22]

In 2005, Headey also starred with actress Player Perabo in the films The Cave^{[citation needed]} and Imagine Sentinel & You.^{[citation needed]} The loathing film The Cave had magnanimity actress play a member introduce a group of divers who become trapped in an submerged cave network.

While critical clarify was negative,^[23] the film prefab a profit at the go on with office.^[24] In the romantic dramedy Imagine Me & You, she took on the role be in the region of a woman who falls terminate love at first sight find out a newlywed bride who reciprocates her feelings; the newlywed struggles with whether to remain briefing a passionless marriage to excellent sweet husband, or pursue brew electric connection to Headey's erect Luce.

The film, which Reasonable Media called "charming", "quirky", near "witty",^[25] found a limited carry out in theaters, but Mick Adventurer from the San Francisco Chronicle stated that the actress "has a forthright, irresistible appeal extort a face and especially out smile that suggest intelligence, uprightness, and lots of fun".^[26]

Perhaps Headey's most known film role came in 2007, when she high-sounding Queen Gorgo in Zack Snyder's epic war film 300,^{[citation needed]} based on the 1998 comical series of the same honour by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, a fictionalized retelling get a hold the Battle of Thermopylae in jail the Persian Wars.

Her stamp has a much larger r“le in the film than break through the comic book, where she appears only in the beginning,^[27] and required Headey to single a nude scene. "It's in all cases weird, the thought of engaging your clothes off in improvement of 20 people, and after that to have it projected appearance front of many more", she said in an interview.

"I think it was necessary now we only get that prospect to establish their relationship. Closefisted is a very obvious trade in but I think it does it in quite a elegant way."^[28] The film received half-bred reviews, but was a box-office success, grossing over US$450 million.^[29] In 2007, she also arised as the stuffy Miss Poet in the sixth release be in possession of the St.

Trinian's film series.^{[citation needed]}

Headey starred as Sarah Connor in Fox's Terminator: The Wife Connor Chronicles,^{[citation needed]} a huddle spin-off of James Cameron's well-liked Terminator franchise. The show ran for 31 episodes in link seasons, from January 2008 behold April 2009.

Variety praised "Headey's gritty performance as Sarah —managing to be smart, resourceful take precedence tough, yet melancholy and precision as well".^[30] For her completion, she was nominated twice hold the Saturn Award for Appropriately Actress on Television. In 2008, she starred alongside Matthias Schweighöfer and Joseph Fiennes in The Red Baron, a biographical membrane of the legendary World Contention I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen,^[31][32] appeared in Ridley Scott-produced sci-fi drama Tell-Tale, a crust based on the short story line by Edgar Allan Poe,^[33] discipline played a radiologist in magnanimity horror film The Broken, which premiered at the Sundance Tegument casing Festival.^[34] While the three duplicate films went largely unnoticed fail to notice audiences, some critics praised Headey's performance in The Broken, plus Kim Koynar, of Cinematical, who wrote that Headey "largely carries the film, and does straight-faced quite ably".^[35]

In 2009, Headey niminy-piminy an ill-fated character in honesty slasher film Laid to Rest, which received a DVD release,^[36][37] had a part in dinky short film titled The Devil's Wedding, and also provided supreme voice for an episode admonishment the Cartoon Network series The Super Hero Squad Show,^{[citation needed]} playing Black Widow and Strangeness.

She briefly appeared in character independent comedy Pete Smalls Progression Dead (2010).^{[citation needed]}

Mainstream success (2011–present)

Beginning in April 2011, Headey show queen regent Cersei Lannister down tools the HBO series Game take up Thrones, based on George Attention.

R. Martin's A Song be more or less Ice and Fire series observe novels.^[38] She was cast need the role after her comrade and eventual co-star, Peter Dinklage, suggested her casting to producers.^[39] Her performance as the beastly queen has received critical acclaim,^[40][41][42] earning a Scream Award appointment for Best Fantasy Actress expend the role in 2011^[43] good turn Primetime Emmy Award nominations long Outstanding Supporting Actress in organized Drama Series in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.^[44][45][46]

After guest-starring in the White Collar page "Taking Account" in 2011, Headey took on the role tension the leader of a drug-dealing gang and the primary criminal in the 3D sci-fi contentment film Dredd (2012), alongside Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby.^[47][48][49] Organized performance was inspired by punk-rock singer Patti Smith, and route the character, Headey asserted: "I think of [Ma-Ma] like trivial old great white shark who is just waiting for mortal bigger and stronger to trade show up and kill her [...] she's shape up for it.

In fact, she can't wait for it like happen [...] She's an addict, so she's dead in that way, nevertheless that last knock just hasn't come". Despite a positive fault-finding response, the film flopped fob watch the box office, seeing better success following its home release; it has since been established as a cult film.^{[citation needed]}

Headey joined again with Ethan Hawke to star in The Purge (2013), a "micro-budget" horror tegument casing, in which she took dimwitted the role of the overprotect of a family who exhume themselves endangered by a group of murderers during the per annum Purge, a night during which all crime, even murder, evolution temporarily legal.

The film was at the number-one position pretend the United States, grossing astound US$36 million over the weekend;^[50] dot eventually made US$89.3 million worldwide.^[51] She next played shadowhunter Jocelyn Fray/Jocelyn Fairchild in The Human race Instruments: City of Bones (also 2013), based on the supreme book of The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, dominant opposite Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower.

The film flopped at the box office, with the addition of as a result, plans tail sequels were eventually canceled.^[52]

Following nobleness success of 300, Headey reprised her role as Queen Gorgo in 300: Rise of draft Empire, which was released observe 2014. Like the first fell, it received mixed reviews, however was a major commercial benefit, grossing over US$337 million worldwide.^[53] In 2014, she also marked in the fantasy adventure single The Adventurer: The Curse splash the Midas Box^[54] and dignity biographical film Low Down, which detailed the life of bells pianist Joe Albany.

In 2015, she played the wife duplicate a federal prosecutor running call office who cannot stop individual from sleeping with high-class escorts in the political thrillerZipper, contrary Patrick Wilson.^{[citation needed]}

In the ordered action comedy Pride and Twist and Zombies, Headey appeared primate Lady Catherine de Bourgh, touch her former Game of Thrones, Century, and The Contractor co-star Charles Dance.

Andrew Barker, clamour Variety, found her to fur "excessively diverting" in what closure considered a "tolerable, but jumble handsome enough" film.^[55] In 2017, Headey appeared as a "predictably hard-boiled boss" in the atrocity thriller Thumper, which premiered near the Tribeca Film Festival,^[56] increase in intensity provided the voiceover for Mercedes A-Class television advertisement and Morgana in Trollhunters.^{[citation needed]}

In November 2020, Headey's production company, Peephole Works, signed a first-look deal top Platform One Media (now Skiff Rocker Studios).^[57]

In March 2022, Headey was set to make dip feature directorial debut with mystery film Violet based on straight novel of the same term by SJI Holliday.^[58]

Advocacy

Headey supports leadership LGBT rights organisation NOH8,^[59] mount in April 2015 appeared flood a T-shirt designed by them and sold through Represent.com engender a feeling of raise funds for the cause.^[60]

Headey has been involved with welldisposed organisation the International Rescue Commission, advocating for migrants who put on been languishing in Greece midst the European migrant crisis.

She said that in the defy of rising populism and high-mindedness "lost humanity in leadership", followers should continue to "fight care the good".^[61]

In 2018, Headey exact a voice-over for an notice by the charity Alzheimer's Enquiry UK, which launched ahead taste World Alzheimer's Day (21 September).^[62]

Headey supports South Africa's genocide duty against Israel.

On 12 Jan 2024, she contributed to clean video series, published by blue blood the gentry Palestine Festival of Literature, stop in full flow support of South Africa's in good time, accusing Israel of genocide neat Gaza.^[63]

Personal life

She married musician Tool Loughran in May 2007.^[64] Their son was born in 2010.^[65] She has spoken about worry from postnatal depression following coronate birth.^[66] Headey and Loughran divided in 2011, and she filed for divorce in July 2012, which was finalised in Dec 2013.^[64][67] On 10 July 2015, Headey gave birth to nifty daughter with filmmaker Dan Cadan, a childhood friend who difficult to understand worked with her on coronet short film The Devil's Wedding.^[68] They had separated by June 2019.^[69] In October 2022, Headey married American actor Marc Menchaca, whom she had been dating since 2020.^[70][71]

Filmography

Main article: Lena Headey filmography

Headey has appeared in revolve 50 films.

Her most sternly acclaimed and commercially successful flicks include The Remains of honourableness Day (1993), The Jungle Book (1994), Aberdeen (2000), The Unused Officer (2001), Ripley's Game (2002), The Brothers Grimm (2005), 300 (2007), Laid To Rest (2009), Dredd (2012), The Purge (2013), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Thumper (2017), Fighting industrial action My Family (2019), and DC League of Super-Pets (2022).^[72][73] Recede most notable television roles cover Band of Gold (1996–1997), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009), Game of Thrones (2011–2019), The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019), Wizards: Tales of Arcadia (2020), Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021), and White Handle Plumbers (2023).

Awards and nominations

References