Lena Headey talks Thrones

It's a great listening to mix of someone with a firm grasp on their character and someone who has no idea where the story is headed, like this thing about Dinklage:

"I am very happy to be working with him again, he is playing a great character and i hope we get some story lines together."

She's going to be very very happy.

I giggled a little when I read that thinking she has no Idea the amount of scenes she has with Dinklage.

I had the same thought. Makes me wonder if she's read anything besides the pilot script.

I also agree that she has a great grasp on the core character traits that driver Cersei Lannister. My bet is laster on the in the series Cersei descends into madness.

smart , insecure, ferociously maternal, cutthroat, paranoid.

6 words. :(

for arguements sake you could add a hyphen making it "ferociously maternal".

I don't think "smart" is a good word to describe Cersei. Maybe replace that with impulsive?

Besides that, I think she has a fairly good grasp on the character…I hope she gets around to reading the book though to get a better idea.

I'm guessing her impression of Tyrion is mainly from the pilot script and seeing her describe him as a great character based on that makes me even more excited about seeing what Dinklage will do with the role. I think he will be a clear standout in the show.

She hasn’t read the books?!? “cry”

I hope that in the 3rd and 4th season when her character begins to gain weight that she will actually gain some weight. If I had to guess I would think she wont want to do it.

I must say, I'm quite looking forward to seeing Lena's portrayal of Cersei. Being unfamiliar with her as an actress, I decided to check out some of her previous roles and the first thing that struck me was (at least from what I could see) her obvious warmth. Which as we all know is not exactly Cersei's strong point ;) After seeing that, and reading her comments on looking forward to playing a villain for once, I'm deeply curious how Cersei will turn out onscreen. And, after leafing through some of her jucier scenes in the books, undeniably excited :]

Hmmm…I usually love the stuff they do, but this misses the mark by half. Cersei, as far as I know, never entered a convent.

This is the Cersei I know: http://7kingdoms.ru/wp-content/gallery/casting/hb…

It takes a while before we see the limits of Cersei's intelligence. Book 2, and especially Book 4, show how short-sighted she is.

I don't expect any of the actors to read the books. If they do, awesome! If they become fans, even better! But I don't expect it from any of them.

I have seen that one. The hair is terrible, the lightening is horrible, the coloring looks fake, and the Photoshop work is atrocious in general.

All the Lanister clan scenes are awesome, IMO.

No doubt she nailed the character of Cersei, but it strike me as weird that she didn't read the books. I'm not an actor and I don't know what is the process but I would expect that an actor would want to know as much as possible about his character and the project.
I guess there is no need for some of the supporting cast to read the books but the lead actors should at least read the first book IMO.

I'd be suprised if more than a few of the lead actors have read the books.

What are you talking about? That picture is Lean Headey as Cersei Lannister.

http://madameguillotine.files.wordpress.com/2009/…

This is what I'm talking about. Lena Heady's face copy-pasted on this poster.

I'd say it's a very well drawn portrait of someone who had all kinds of potential, with no outlet for it, and who grew up in an environment where trust and love were in short supply. When you're not allowed to do anything and you can't speak your mind, then everything you know about your own strengths and limitations is theoretical; and if there's suddenly an opportunity to exert your own will and grab for some advantage, it's going to be awfully hard not to be impulsive, because you might never get the chance again. And then if you screw up, you don't dare admit it.

Not to mention that she's spent way too much time around Robert and his counsellors, which would make anyone halfway clever feel like a genius.

Well, when you've been around the block like Lena has you might not get as immersed right away as some of the other actors for which this is a great opportunity. Also they haven't even started yet and she's been busy with being a mother so we can't really blame her for that. Also actors often have their own process of approaching a role and it might also be strategy not to get their interpretations of the material too tainted in order to give it some of their own spin on it.

In acting there is a description called, "Playing the process, not the result." That is, because the characters, obviously lacking clairvoyant powers, don't know what's going to happen to them next, the actor shouldn't either, and can play the surprise factor better. Some actors pointblank refuse to read the books if the script is based on them for this reason.

The flipside of that argument is that later events in the books can reveal information that the characters have known all along which would help their performance. For example, if Lena knows about the prophecy thing from Book 4 (although frankly I'm hoping they cut that out, it's an unnecessary extra motivation for Cersei to have to hate Tyrion) that might play into her scenes with Tyrion in Seasons 2-3 and make them stronger. Of course, stuff like that might have been included in a detailed breakdown of the character for the actors anyway.

I suspect Cercei didn't know about the prophecy in the first books because probably GRRM didn't know about the prophecy when he starting writing the books either. I love prophecies and foretelling in the fantasy genre, but that one always sounded to me like a last minute afterthough of the author to give more meat to Cercei's chapters.

According to this logic actors must never read their full script and only read their next lines in order to be constantly surprised. it doesn't make sense, an actor should be able to play well even if he knows what happens to his character.

I've seen several of Lena's movies and I would say that, while I didn't see her portray an 'evil' character before, I think she has the ability of projecting darkness on screen. See Aberdeen, where her character is rather rough and in parts unlikeable (though overall sympathetic), or in The Broken, particularly the last minutes where the character is as evil as one can get (def more evil than Cersei!); even in 300 the Queen has this almost inhuman steeliness and frankly there were times in Sarah Connor where the character got rather dark and unlikeable, which I thought was great. Based on this I feel Lena's portrayal of Cersei will be brilliant and fascinating, and I expect that Cersei would come out dark but also as nuanced and complex. She might even come out more complex than in the books, because she will also be more 'fleshed out'. I definitely look forward to Lena's interpretation of her.

Well, she'll have directors telling her what to do anyway, and as Adam Whitehead mentioned, it might even be intentional.

yeah, when it is implied that she develops a drinking problem, iirc there are some lines about some of her clothes not fitting so well anymore. Though honestly I think it's the kind of weight gain that can easily be achieved with make up, it's not like she suddenly turns obese.

There is a theory that the weight gain is down to her being pregnant though I don't believe it.

I will be a bit polemical about this, as I've seen time and again on this site (which I enjoy very much btw) comments on how the series *must* follow the books, not stray from them, actors should follow the book ad literam etc. I am a book lover myself, and I can understand the argument why some books should *not* be made into movies, but I am a bit iffy when I hear that a movie adaptation should follow books completely and slavishly. Movies are a different medium than books, and translating word to image does not work straightforwardly. Nor shouldn't it, because if it were so, why bother making the movie?! The movie will always be different than the book, if only because it is an enactment of a director and cast's imagination, and not that of the individual reader or even the writer. In this sense, I understand how reading a book might end up stifling an actor's imagination – a movie has to 'play around' with the book, not follow it slavishly. You don't want the visual medium to become imprisoned in the word medium, even if the former uses the latter as a guidance. And I say this while wanting to be a writer myself. I'm wary about putting caps on one's imagination and creativity.

As regards GOT, I will probably be even more unpopular when I say that the series should be ready to change from the book as the series goes on (not completely of course or it will lose the narrative thread). A TV series must establish a relationship with the watchers, not the readers (who will be less in numbers, hopefully!), and should be able to respond to their needs. Straightjacketing the series could be a recipe for failure if the series becomes unresponsive and inflexible to the needs of the audience. Off my soapbox now.

Some do only read their next lines, actually

We haven't got any indications that the first season will deviate from the book so I don't see why would reading the book be harmful, then again I'm not an actor and apparently some of them don't even read the full script so maybe that the right way to go.

I have mixed feelings about GOT deviating from the books, as much as I would enjoy watching something new, I worry it will effect the future books in some unforeseen way.

To provide another example, Michael Gambon never read any of the Harry Potter novels.

Not all actors read the source material things they perform in. Some don't like it and think it negatively affects what they do. They prefer to work strictly from the script, which I think gives them more leeway for interpretation of the role.

I can't say what her reasons are, but it's not at all unheard of. My favorite story about this sort of thing is Julianne Moore, who doesn't even read the full scripts of the movies she in, just her own lines. She has said in interviews that she sometimes doesn't even know what the movie is about until she's at the premier and it's often very surprising to her. For her, the process is all about creating that one believable character.

She was a lot of peoples' choice for Catelyn when they were throwing out casting suggestions for the Producers over at westeros.org.

Yep, that's why I thought her remark about being typecast as "the good one" sounded suspicious :)

Well, all those people who worry about her not having read the book: acting is that woman's profession… this role is an everyday job to her.
Why should she feel prided to have it or obbliged to tear herself open for it?
She's no hairdresser who's decided, all of a sudden, to be an actress.
She has a long career and experience.
She was cast for it because some other people believe her acting skills are suitable to play a role.
She does not have to know that character, not even care about the character, she doesn't have to like it nor dislike it and she doesn not have to think about apart from the time she actually interprets it. All that matters is the result.
As someone mentioned before, there are directors who tell her what to do "Let's try it a bit more subtle/bitchy/two-faced" – her job is to turn it spot on, when asked to do it. That's the job.

Just occurred to me I don't know how to pronounce "Cersei". I always say Sir-say in my head – is this right?!

He was very embarrassed about that. He had tried to, but I get the feeling he's not much of a reader and never finished them. I think he said he got maybe 1/2 way through.

Nice Sunday morning read. Thanks WiC!

I too get the feeling that she isn't that psyched about GoT, which at first is a bit disappointing.

However, I can undertand where it comes from.

She shot the pilot 9 months ago, in which she had but a few lines. She didn't have time to get that immersed in it. And at the time, she was pregnant. With her first baby. Believe me, pregnancy is a huge life-changing experience. It is intense. Every week or every few days your body shows new changes, and you get new feelings and all. Plus, you have to prepare the house and prepare yourself for your new role as a parent. Then comes the delivery, in itself a very intense experience, then the first days of awe and hormone highs and lows, and the sleepless days, which all feel like a LONG never ending day. Then come weeks and months suffering from the lack of sleep and learning to be a mom and trying to interpret the baby's aches and needs.

So compared to that, The pilot she shot for GoT what must seem like so long ago and must not have struck her that much as a new exciting experience.

In her interview, I see a new mother trying to clear her head of daily mothering concerns and present herself as still being the professional she was and eager to go back to work, but she still shows a detachment, which I totally understand. She must be totally immersed in her new mother duties, joys and issues.

And a new mother barely has time for herself, much less to read enormous books.

Now, what someone should do, is send her the audio books. I'm sure she would appreciate a bit of entertainment while she feeds the baby, rocks the baby, confort the baby, etc. etc.

That said, I believe she will be properly directed and informed by knowing people once she has to incarnate Cersei, so her not reading the book is probably not an issue.

I can't wait to see how it will turn out!

If you read her chapters in AFFC, it's clearly already happening.

It's odd to say someone isn't truly "able to excel" when she engineered herself to be ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei is definitely clever and cunning, she just also shortsighted and deluded.

Yeah, I think that's right. I think if you go to the Citadel section of Westeros.org you can find out all of that stuff.

Well said. As a father of two–I can say that this has been the experience of my wife and I. Parenthood is an awesome responsibility, to which everything else takes a backseat–especially at the start. Regardless of if/when Lena reads the books, I'm certain she has the talent to portray an excellent Cersei.

She hasn’t read any of the books? Isn’t anyone else disturbed by this? Her description of Cersei isn’t any more than what you could pick up from a description of the role for casting purposes.
I think my faith in the series just got shaken.

Yeah, but Harry Potter sucks, who would read them?

I'm really surprised and disappointed to see so many people saying "What? She hasn't read the books?!? OMG!". Her job is not to read the books, nor to become a fan of the series. Her job, as an actor, is to read the scripts and follow the director's guidance. THAT'S ALL.

Sure, it would be great if the entire cast read all the books and became super ASOIAF fans like us… bad that's NOT going to happen.

So far, we know that a few of the cast have read them, which is great, but I'd be pretty surprised if Sean Bean has read them, or Peter Dinklage.

The cast members have no obligation to read the books. When you get hired for an acting job, your contract doesn't say "You are also required to read a 4,000 page fantasy series that this script is based on, for deeper understanding of your character". That's ridiculous.

Yeah, GRRM says SIR-say

See, I don't care that much about realism, or if it's obvious where they got the original image. I care far more that it look like the characters. The pic alan777 posted doesn't look like Cersei.

Here's another from 7kingdoms.ru, an earlier one created just after she was announced in the role. Perhaps it will meet with more approval? http://7kingdoms.ru/wp-content/gallery/casting/se…

This one's a bit cartoony, but it's still a good representation of what she might actually look like: http://www.wheeloftime.ru/forum/index.php?action=…

Which is hilarious to me because, in many ways as I was reading the series for the first time, I grew to hate Catelyn more than I hated Cersei.

Rereading ASoS the sheer amount and level of loathing of Tyrion by Cersei does seem to foreshadow the Maggy the Frog revelation, at least somewhat. However, Tyrion's promise to take from Cersei all she holds dear followed by subsequent events with Joffrey and Tywin seem to more than rationalise Cersei's hatred of him in the third and fourth books even without that element.

I think GRRM definitely didn't have that plot thread in mind when writing ACoK, as Cersei's initially quasi-cordial attitude to Tyrion (even picking him up and dancing with him when she hears Stannis and Renly are fighting one another) doesn't track with this dark prophecy that she's live with for decades.

I agree with you completely. While Cersei was never endearing per se, of the two of them Catelyn was the one who I tended to find irritating. I quite enjoy Cersei's chapters, especially in AFFC. They've got a mesmerizing trainwreck quality about them.

Yeah, those three people complaining about lack of book reading are a significant percentage of the over one hundred replies to this blog post. Definitely enough to warrant a backlash to the backlash reply.

Or not.

See, now they're just trolling you. Don't feed the trolls.

It's actually important to avoid reading source materiel when adaptation is necessary. It's only use is when the director doesn't have an idea for you.

The more important a character you play, the less important it is to have an idea about your character compared to being able to read your director and give the performance (s)he's looking for. This is directly related to the amount of attention the director has for your character, which is why background info is more important for smaller roles, where the less the director has to spend time with you, the more attention he can spend with his more important characters getting exactly what he's looking for.

Not knowing exactly what's going to happen in the future for a character can be important to get authentic reactions based on current events.

"Wow, I'm realising from some of these comments that I really wouldn't make a very good actor. Cos I'd be madly curious to read a book for additional help with my character. I'd be eating that shit up! I'd be scouring every note from every source I could find. Such would be my nervousness at such a big job."

I don't think it's surprising you'd feel this way. I wasn't too surprised that the younger actors seem to have mostly read the books, because this is all very new for them, and they feel probably similar to how you do. I was thinking about this back when GRRM had his meet-up in NI, where the actors who came along with him were mostly the Stark kids and Theon (also, the guy playing Ser Rodrik). Most of them were reading or had read the books (or were having the books read/summarized for them in the case of the two girls). It occurred to me whether or not George had asked any of the more experienced actors to come, and then I laughed at the idea of Sean Bean attending. If I were to bet on any actor being the least likely to have read the books, it would be Bean (not that it's also possible he would've read them, I just doubt it). The more experienced actors have probably been through this rodeo many times (Bean even apparently had to be seriously wooed into becoming involved in this project, according to GRRM). Actors like Bean and Headey maybe read the books behind movies or shows they made when they were younger actors, or, then again, maybe not. Some people just aren't big readers. I wonder if Bean has ready any of the 'Sharpe' novels. I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't. Every project has a script; some are based on books, some aren't. Some actors might not even know or care that their script is based on a book. I wonder if any of the actors in 'Die Hard' read the book it was based on. The story and many important details will be in the script, and then there are directors and producers to tell the actors what they want (I also wonder if any of the directors have read the books). Some of the veteran actors who have a more serious, theatre-like work ethic maybe would be more likely to have read the books; I wouldn't be surprised if Dinklage read them. But, I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't.

Actively avoiding them or reading all or part of them for background research is all part of the actor's individual process. Reading the entire series? Probably the biggest factor is whether or not they enjoy reading large novels.

She did just have a baby, right? She may have been a little busy to read the books. i hope she finds time to read them in the future, because Cersei is such a dynamic character, but she doesn't have any POV chapters until later books so it isn't as important now as it will come to be.

Yes, I am disturbed but by the level of negativity and judgmentalism some people display toward others. It makes me think twice about being honest in public. It's funny, some just cannot handle honesty. If Lena said something politically correct like 'I've begun to read the books, but I'm a long way in' to placate fans instead of being blunt people would have have been happy. Which makes me like her more for being a straightforward non-nonsense person.

I think the word for Cersei is "cunning". Not book smart, but clever in her political machinations and seductions. As Tyrion says, she doesn't lack for wits, but she has no patience.

I was under the impression that Crystal Sky was talking about a deviation from the plot, like adding some new characters or changing events. obviously they'll need to add scenes to elaborate things that can't be shown otherwise without the POV system.

"His hesitation at taking on Ned Stark was primarily because he didn't have the confidence he could do the role justice."

Where did you hear this information?

TROLLTIME! apparently, and by the way Dorne wins the World Cup.
Anyone know which role Ms. Heady feels she has done her best work, I was going to rent it if available.

Yesv – they're bloody great books! Why wouldn't ANYONE involved with the project want to read them given their reputation? They've signed up for the thing & HBO is going gaga for the books – you'd think they'd be at least curious what all the hype is about!

They'd be the least curious ppl in the world to just shrug their shoulders and say "Nah, don't think I'll bother, thanks. Don't you know that us ACT-ORS don't have to do that shit??"

And thanks for the condescension!

HBO is going gaga for the TV SHOW, not the books! The actors have signed up for the TV SHOW, not the books. The show is a different entity altogether, how can people not understand this?!?

If you actually think that every actor involved in this show is going to read through thousands of pages of a fantasy series, just because they're acting in the TV adaptation, then you're going to be very disappointed.

Jeez, I write too much… professional habit be damned.

Aberdeen is the best I think, and apparently she agrees with me :P (see interview). A bit hard to find though, but well worth it, I think it's a brilliant duet between her and Stellan Skarskgard it. If it had been American or at least British (it's a Norwegian film) it could have earned her an Oscar or BAFTA nomination.

I also like the Broken a lot, but the movie is more about style and mood than characters. Some people didn't like it though, perhaps because it was branded as a horror when it's really a psychological thriller with a very European atmosphere. Quite haunting though. Lena did well in it (as main character), but it is not a character-driven story like Aberdeen.

For the record, I am definitely not a purist, not am I concerned that a veteran actress hasn't read the books.

However, <<your contract doesn't say "You are also required to read a 4,000 page fantasy series that this script is based on, for deeper understanding of your character". That's ridiculous. >>

I don't read many people saying she must read the books but that it would be nice. Were I portraying a role, I personally would want as deep an understanding as possible of the character. It would be my nature to invest myself in any information I could get.

So many, who may feel like me, are remarking that she isn't reading and they wish she would and wish she would enjoy it like they do. We all tend to want others to like what we like. I don't think that is ridiculous at all.

It's like someone signing up to play Smike and not reading Nicholas Nickleby. But hey, it's the TV SERIES they signed up for!

"How can people not understand this?!?"

LOL. We're obviously dumbasses, right?

I will continue to pronounce it "Sir-See" in my head probably until I hear them saying it on screen.

Aside from the obvious fact that you've decided anyone who disagrees with your viewpoint is a "fanboi" and thus your opinions can themselves be dismissed as not worth much, you've also apparently tossed out an entire style of acting in the process. Did you consider at all the Ms. Headey wants to avoid reading the books so that her performance isn't tainted by later revelations in the book? As readers, we don't get see Cersei unveiled over the course of several long books. If Headey were to play here, fully realized as the character she later is revealed to be, then the viewers of the series are cheated of the same kind of development a reader gets to see. Cersei's flaws, in all their sordid glory, are NOT revealed at the outset. Not reading the books could be a very valid decision by an actor, wanting to let the character develop via the script itself, and not prejudice the performance with later information about the character from later books.

You seem to be insisting that the Cersei who GRRM allows us to see in the first book (and thus at the start of the TV series too) be the same one who is more fully revealed by AFFC? That wasn't the case in the books, and shouldn't be the case in the series either, if you are as set upon having everything detail exactly like the books as you imply. Think it through. Your position is shallow and one-sided, and thus just as ultimately not valid as that of the "fanboi" insult you blithely toss about onto others.

Glass houses and all, sport. Maybe you should think a bit deeper and consider all possibilities before jumping off the deep end into what amounts to the polar opposite of a fanboi post, an unreasoned hate-filled rant. Have a nice day.

There are absolutely actors who would sign up to play Smike and not read Nicholas Nickleby, just like there are ones who would sign up to play Little Wackford Squeers, read the entire book, and watch any performance they could get their hands on.

Every actor is different. As paradoxical as it might seem, an actor's interest in diving into source material has little relation to their ability to bring the script the writers have adapted from that material to life. That's measured in the audition process.

Yes, I wish she had read the books. Obviously we all love them or we wouldn't be so obsessed with this kind of discussion, but there are other factors here. First, it's very possible that, as others have mentioned, she wants to immerse herself entirely in the role and help herself out with that by letting the character develop within the script, rather than knowing exactly how everything ends up. I'm no actor, I don't know all the pros and cons of this kind of method, but I assume a professional actress has a general handle on how to do her job.
Second, as Steel_Wind points out, "apparently she's got something else to do". You know, like starting a family, raising a child, maybe sleeping a coupe hours a day…the woman is busy, and there is no reason for us to demand that she drop her entire life in order to become Cersei.
So sure, I love the books. If I had been cast as Cersei, I probably would read them. But let's not disparage Headey's character and question the quality of the entire show just because she's not doing things the way we obsessed fans might.
And as far as use of the word 'smart' goes, hell, Cersei herself thinks she's smart…maybe this is another acting trick, describing your character as she would describe herself? I'm mostly kidding. Let's put this down to questionable word choice. Besides, 'low cunning' would have taken her to seven words, and she's already getting crap for using six…

Well, Cersei certainly is smarter than Robert…does that count?
And, of course, **spoiler**
Manages to play Ned neatly into her hand…no. I think that is smart. She's capable of that trait. It's just her anger management that gets in the way, on occasion…and her psychotic son.

My two cents: Don't everyone freak out about her seeming apathetic/ not extremely interested in GoT. Sounds to me like she's still trying to adjust to the recent massive changes in her life, and understandably so. I'm sure when she gets back on set and actually gets going with the show, she'll get into it and all will be well.

Amidst all this argument over whether or not Cersei is smart, I'll just add….

She is smart, meaning she is intelligent and shrewd. She is, however, not WISE – she does not learn well from her own mistakes or from the mistakes of those around her. What most of you are debating about is not smartness, but wisdom. They're related, they can work together, but they are NOT the same thing.

Also, a quick note that today is the last day of GRRM’s Clarion gig:

http://grrm.livejournal.com/160755.html

“Sorry, no hints or casting announcements until the 11th. At least not from me.”

That’s no guarantee that we’re going to get any hints or casting announcements today, but it’s nice to know that I can start obsessively checking Not a Blog now as well.

Leaving Barcelona today. I managed to hop on the internet. Wow! What alot of news! I can't wait to get back to the states to dig in! Till then have fun everyone and Viva la Espana!

She is smart, but she's also insane which causes all sorts of problems for her. It reminds me of one of my favorite scenes from the movie "Manhunter," and the following exchange:

Doctor Hannibal Lecktor: By implication you think you're smarter than me since you caught me.

Will Graham: No, I know that I'm not smarter than you.

Doctor Hannibal Lecktor: Then how did you catch me?

Will Graham: You had disadvantages.

Doctor Hannibal Lecktor: What disadvantages?

Will Graham: You're insane.

Same goes for Cersei…she has severe disadvantages. Here's that Manhunter scene, by the way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOBlqEshqeA&fe…

Right, so using this as an example:

***SPOILERS***
***SPOILERS***
***SPOILERS***

You know I'm fond of Brienne as a character, and view her as entirely essential, so this is just a thought experiment of love.

Let's say, for whatever reason she tests horribly with the audience. Everyone LOVES Bronn. Season Four is coming up (I can dream, right?) and HBO decides to do the following:

At the end of Season Three, Brienne is arrested for Renly's murder. Jaime sends her off to find Sansa.

In Season Four, we don't see Brienne at all for a long time. In her place, we see an entirely new subplot with Bronn adjusting to life as a lord and his marriage to Lollys Stokeworth. Instead of Cersei merely being informed of Bronn naming his new son Tyrion, we see him do it. In a flip from the books, we see Jamie informed of Brienne's progress through a dispatch from Lord Randyll.

Then, they could pick up with her arriving at the Quiet Isle and follow her journey from there.

Again, I don't think this will happen, but I see it as much more plausible than people who suggest Brienne should be written out of existence entirely.

***SPOILERS***
***SPOILERS***
***SPOILERS***

I am no expert on acting whatsoever, so I would not be surprised at all if I'm wrong. However, I agree with shadallion and SteelWind that Lena Headey's attitude towards the series seems indifferent. The aspect of not reading the books may or may not be a bad thing in and of itself (for reasons mentioned above or others), but combined with her other comments, it is a bit disappointing.

Look at how many times the interviewer tried to ask her if she was exicted about the role / preparing for it, etc. Look at her answers. "God no I can't relate to the character" "No I did not read the books" "No I did not talk to GRRM at all about the character; instead we just drank beer"

Like shadallion said, I hope Lena proves me wrong.

I think this is where this discussion gets off-track.

You're more than welcome to your opinion about how a role based on book should be researched, but that opinion doesn't change the realities of how these things are actually done.

Headey isn't some schoolgirl who's shirking a homework assignment. She's neither under obligation to read the books, nor to explain to us why she isn't doing it.

Some people have voiced the opinion that they think it's a shame that she's not reading them, and they hope she will. I get that.

Implying that she's obligated to read the books or is somehow is any less skilled at her craft because she hasn't at this point will continue to meet with resistance from people who have experience with actors who work in a similar fashion.

And this was an informal interview for a fan site– a fan site for a movie that has nothing to do with this. The interviewer didn't seem particularly familiar with the books, and it's not like Headey was choosing every word for how it would sound to *this* fan audience.

Even if she had tried to do so, this thread is proof that the same brief remark will be taken in 10 different ways by 10 very opinionated people. Sometimes quite unpleasantly.

I guess she was supposed to say "OMG, OMG, I can't BELIEVE I'm playing Cersei Lannister! I'm currently reading all the books right now, and WOWWWW, I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!"

Sorry, but I still can't get over this comment. "No excuse for Headey"? Really?? That is one of the most arrogant things I've ever heard.

In case you really do believe what you are saying, then I feel obliged to point out to you that MANY actors (perhaps even the majority) do NOT read the source material that their characters are based upon.

Also, actors aside, reading an epic fantasy series is NOT for everyone. I have friends that wouldn't even be able to make it through the Prologue of Book 1, despite being intelligent and talented people.

This strange belief that the actors NEED to read the books is really, really immature and out of touch with reality.

Your comments are absolutely ridiculous. As if ANY new mother is going to go read a 4,000 page fantasy series, because she filmed a pilot that MIGHT get picked up for a full season in about a year's time. Right…

You just proved my point. MANY actors would (and probably HAVE) played Smike without reading Nicholas Nickleby. The same goes for ANY movie/show that is adapted from books. I'm honestly still shocked that you would even believe this in the first place.

Actors do not go running around reading all the source material their role is adapted from. It just doesn't happen.

You know, I'm skeptical that's the real reason people are upset that Lena hasn't read the books. They're SAYING it's because she should learn more about her character, but that's what the director (and writers) are for.

Honestly, I think people are mad because they want Lena to prove that she's a hardcore ASOIAF fan like the rest of us. Clearly she isn't (not yet, at least) and people are resenting that fact.

I think Sir-See is close enough to Sir-Say. I'm not even sure which one I use.

I think people are applying intelligence by association. Like next to Tyrion, Varys, and Littlefinger, she doesn't stack up all very well. But next to others … she's certainly outsmarted her fair share of people. (Including most of the Starks; if you view Cersei as stupid, you have to say the Starks are near-imbeciles.)

And Cersei certainly thinks she's intelligent (though clearly in later seasons she's not nearly as smart as she thinks she is). I would say her biggest shortcoming, by far, is her vanity. Next to that is her impatience. But she's intelligent.

As far as people getting their tits in an uproar over Lena sounding apathetic … hey, if that's what gets you worked up, I can't tell you not to be. Chicken coop effect.

Very few of my friends believe she will be any good in this role, but I'm calling my shot (you heard it here first, boys and girls): she'll be one of the great revelations of this show; one of those roles that will have people going, "Holy crapmonkeys, I didn't know SHE had THAT in her!"

Lena's been waiting to get her antagonist on. Swing it, girl!

I can't understand why people think that the actors need to be fans of the series.

Yes, Lena "gets to" play Cersei… because she's an actor, and that's what they do!

We have got to be the most spoiled fandom, when it comes to casting. So far, most of our cast have proven acting skills, look physically perfect for their roles… and now they need to be fans of the series too? We are spoiled.

There is definitely lots of spoiledness and impossible expectations around here.

I hopes its the minority, but its hard to tell sometimes because they seem to come in huge waves.

She should definitely be on at least her second read-through. There's just too many nuances to be picked up on the first time.

/sarcasm

So what if she can't relate to the character? And the not reading the books-thing doesn't count when we don't know why. And she did not talk to GRRM at all, it seems she did not really have the chance. She did not sit and drink with him. At least she was there?

And regarding exitement, we do get two nice lines:

"I am so looking forward to be a villain for once"

"i am excited about bringing a whole new experience to my work."

Exactly! Her "God, no" response was because Cersei is a horrible villain. Now people are trying to twist it into some kind of apathetic response from Lena, which it clearly wasn't. It was a joke! As in "Can I relate to Cersei Lannister? God no, and thank goodness!"

"It just seems like this another job for her."

Yes, this is a thing I think a lot of people have a problem with. It is probably just a job to her, cause acting is her job. She might like this job more than others, or she might not. She probably got this job for the same reason people generally get jobs, because she gave a good interview. Her job is probably important to her, and she probably puts a lot of effort into doing it well, but she's probably never going to have anything like the ASoIaF fans' insane love for the property.

This is now my favorite fan freakout after the fake snow incident.

1. Yes, I got the feeling that some people just don't like Lena Headey, which they are entitled to do, but it is a bit funny that they would use all sorts of twisted arguments to make their personal choice appear 'rational and justified'. I don't like David Villa (Spain footballer) but I will not say he's a bad player just because I don't like his looks and style. I would suspect 80% or more of people that don't like her have not even seen her play than perhaps some eps of Terminator. Fair enough – why check other movies with an artist you don't like? But then again, don't just assume she's a bad actor or irresponsible or whatever just based on one interpretation or , even worse, an interview!

2. Smart can mean very many things, not just MENSA IQ. When I read Lena's characterisation I initially thought she meant something like 'cunning' , 'wily', 'animal instincts'. Obviously others understood intelligent in an Einstein kind of way. To each his own, I guess.

Some actors choose to read the books upon which the script is based and some dont. Some actors want to be faithful to the original idea and others to the production itself. Its all a matter of technique. Ive seen enough episodes of actors studio to know this.

As long as their work turns out fine its noones business but their own.

Secondly I like the balance here between the actors. Some are fans of the work and some are proffessional actors just doing their job.
I think both kinds are needed but none more than the other. The fans bring fire and energy and the proffessionals credibility to the production.

Lena seems to have a proffessional view and that is what to expect. Lets not forget that after TtSCC she is probarly a bit fed up with hardcore fans in general. That is to be expected.

We dont want this to turn out as some crappy fan fiction so let the actors do what they do best and just shut up about it.

In book 1, Cersei IS the smart one. She masterminds the death of her husband, plays Ned Stark like a fiddle, and winds up in exactly the position she wants: her son on the Iron Throne, with her as his primary advisor, whispering in his ear. What do the more respected members of her family do? Tyrion spends most of the book in a Sky Cell, Tywin underestimates Robb Stark to the point of being on the cusp of losing the entire war, and Jaime allows himself to be caught up in an ambush and captured.

Cersei plays the game of thrones quite well. Her incompetence reveals itself more in her inability as a ruler, particularly in her inability to control her son, which has as much to do with her blindness to their faults as it does with her stupidity.

Or does, you know, actual knowledge of the series' characters come off as too "fanboyish"?

Insistence that the actors read the books is childish. Actors are BUSY. New moms, even moreso. They have interests that are likely not congruent with ours. To most of them, particularly the principals, this is a JOB. Lucrative, high-profile, a chance to show off their chops, maybe even win some awards, if the stars align. More than that is a bonus.

Yep, well said!

Woot Woot to the teacher's on the blog! lol

But seriously, multiple intelligences dooooo exist, as does a little something called emotional intelligence (which Cersei is, of course, a dunce in)
But as some guy with steve in his name said a little earlier in these posts, she is pretty darn smart in the first book. She gets rid of Robert and Ned and sets herself up as Queen regeant. Nothing to shirk at!

I think Cersei is almost as intelligent as Tyrion, Varys and Littlefinger. I've always seen her problem as being born a beautiful woman. She is so used to guys wanting her and girls wanting to be her…that she uses her beauty to get her way far too often and she never developed any other skills. Tyrion, Varys and Littlefinger didn't have this advantage and had to develope many other tools to manipulate the players. The reason Cersei is outsmarted is because all 3 of them know the "tool" Cersei is using and they just have to think of ways to counter it.

Basically Cersei has the intelligence, she just never developed it properly by using her beauty instead of her brains.

But I totally agree that Lena's going to be awesome in this role.

Now when I compare these "disappointed" comments to those which suggested every conceivable roles for an actor whatshisname just because he is a fan of the books…well, that's the fun to be in a fandom.
Whether an actor has read or enjoyed the original books or not affects little the quality of his perfomance, as long as he can follow the director's instructions well enough. Some directors actually dislike it when an actor gives too intensive a reading to the script because that is apt to lead him to follow his own interpretation rather than the director's. A stubborn actor could easily be a director's nightmare. For similar reasons some actors avoid reading the script too closely before shooting in fear of being prejudiced. Though I do hope Lena gives it a read at her convenience since it's so well-written, so inspiring books.

I have still never read any Sookie Stackhouse books, nor Harry Potter, though I do appreciate True Blood and the HP movies. On the other hand, I've never gone to any of their boards for fear of spoilerage. This means that I basically don't really care much about what the die hard fanbases of either community feel about the live action counterparts. I just watch the shows.

I expect similar reactions from Game of Thrones watchers about die hard ASOIAF fan freakouts.

Is the Wall gonna be 700 ft tall? No. Messes with the arrow scenes. That's obviously a measurement snafu in the books of the type that GRRM hates getting trapped into (same reason he hates maps, because then he has to worry about fans trapping him about travel times other than speed of plot).

40 horse drawn wheelhouse? Puh-leese.

Cercei and Gregor played smart? Among half a dozen other terms thrown into their character descriptions? Clearly I'm a fanboi because my freakout meter still ain't budging.

Heck, the Manderlys might just be fat rather than obese.

Oh, also: echo echo echo echo echo…..

Smart people have telepathic powers? realy?

Completely agree. I know the show is going to be different from the books. Even if they used the bloody books for the script there's no way the actors would be what we think, the directors have the same vision, etc. So I have resigned myself to them being different.

I also am not a big fan of Lena, but hey, not everyone is going to agree with every casting decision so that's ok too.

I actually did go back and read the Harry Potter books after I had seen I think 4 movies. Honestly, I thought the movies were better. While creative, she ain't much of a "writer".

Found this one as well, best there is :) so far. Great!

Actually, according to HBO's press description of GAME OF THRONES as seen on the website, the Wall in the TV series is 800 feet tall. So it's actually bigger than in the books.

Cue much ranting and screaming.

Try Google. Google Images have a ton of images of him.

Looks like his highest-profile roles to date are as Pope Clement in one episode of THE TUDORS, as Captain Hammond in several of the HORNBLOWER movies and also a recurring role in popular British comedy-drama COLD FEET.

I was exaggerating, because I thought his complaint was ridiculous (assuming he was being serious; I wasn't convinced that Steel_Wind wasn't being sarcastic himself). Lena describing Cersei as smart seems a small point; Cersei considers herself to be smart, so the actress playing her thinking she is smart is true to the character. It's not going to change Cersei's dialogue or actions. Maybe some fans want Lena to play Cersei by drooling uncontrollably, and constantly looking confused; probably not going to happen.

+1 on the intelligence thing. I would say that she's smart, but not wise.

Reading all the other comments on your post, something just struck me. Everyone keeps saying that actors don't need to read the source material, they get their cues from the director, and thats whats important, blah blah blah…

But think about this… how many adaptations of books have you watched, whether on TV or film, and said to yourself afterwards "WOW! That was really the most amazing adaption that could possibly have been made, it was so true to the book!" Your answer, like mine, is probably close to zero.

I realize that there are a LOT of factors that go into making a successful adaption, but hey,maybe if EVERYONE (including producers, directors, actors, and anyone else creatively involved) actually read the source material, there would be a higher success rate.

I just remember on the DVD features of LotR, people saying that Christopher Lee knew the books inside and out and would actually let Jackson know when something in the script was inconsistent with the books. But I guess that's just his "style" of acting – knowing what the hell is going on.

IMO it is a completely false assumption that an "amazing adaptation" must be "true to the book".

Some things quite simply do not work out on screen as they do on paper. A good example would be Moby Dick – if any on-screen adaptation of that book were to include the the extensive descriptions about whaling in general as the book does, the film would be worse-off. That sort of thing simply does not translate to screen.

"It just seems like this another job for her."

Even if this is true, so what? She's a professional actor. She's been around. She knows that this is a serious project, for which she is being paid a very handsome sum of money. She's being paid that money to do her job. Her job is to give the project 100% while the cameras are rolling.

Not to be dismissive of the craft (because I sure as hell can't do it), but actors are paid to pretend. Even if she had read the books and absolutely despised them, there's no reason to believe that would get in the way of her performance, or result in an end product that would be any different than if she had signed hardcover copies of the entire series and will squee with unhindered glee when ADWD finally comes out. That squee wouldn't make it on screen, anyway.

Is it cool when an actor involved with a project enjoys and is really into its source material? Sure. But expecting that to have a substantive effect on their end performance is more than a little naive.

Yeah, I'm waiting for these discussions:

TV Fan: Did you see what went down last night? HOLY CRAP!!!
Book Fan: That's not how it really happened.
TV Fan: Uh…yeah, it did.
Book Fan: I mean in the books. It's not the way GRRM wrote it.
TV Fan: Okay, but…it happened. I saw it last night.
Book Fan: THAT'S NOT THE WAY IT HAPPENED!!!

This is a really good point. If you've read any other interviews with her, she's not shy about throwing her sense of humor around.

And of course Jackson listened to him given how exactly Sarumans role in book and film matched up. Oh wait.

I can't believe people are getting so angry about an actress not reading a book. Did Batman fans demand Christian Bale read every single Batman comic published before he took on the role? Actually forget that as there probably were people who did.

I watched Aberdeen today. And I agree, she is fantastic. Cersei in good hands, says I :)

Yes, you nailed it very well. I think it is suggestive that Lena got so many things right about the character just from the pilot script. She seems to have a 'spontaneous' insight into character.

Oh for the love of gods, read the book.

Of course it’s a big deal, its the whole damn deal.