Lena Headey on the Walk of Shame, her Emmy nominations, and Season 6

Last week, we learned that Lena Headey earned her second Emmy nomination for playing Queen Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones (she was also nominated last year, although she didn’t win). The Wall Street Journal conducted a phone interview with the actress, who just recently gave birth to a baby girl, to get her take on the nomination, her favorite scenes from Season 5, and what’s in store for the character in Season 6.

“It obviously feels very lovely to be recognized for work that you’ve done.” Headey said after being asked whether it was especially rewarding to be nominated after the Cersei-heavy Season 5. “So, yes, I guess in a sense, although you never go into it thinking anything other than, ‘I just want to do Dave and Dan’s work.'”

Headey also mentioned that it was exciting to finally reach the point where she knew executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss were heading, and that now she has no idea what’s going to happen. That makes several million of us.

Predictably, Headey singled out the Walk of Shame scene as a favorite for the season. “It was tough,” she said. “I loved that. I love a challenge. To remain emotionally focused in the midst of that three-day marathon … it was good to be recognized for that.” To the bystanders, it seems like this scene was what clinched her the Emmy nomination and may even get her the win. That was some powerful, unsettling TV.

At the same time, Headey hastened to remind people that the Walk of Shame wasn’t the only Cersei scene worth discussing in Season 5. She also really enjoyed her other big scene from “Mother’s Mercy,” the one where she let slip a couple comparatively minor transgressions to the High Sparrow while still lying about the big stuff.

"So she’s kind of playing him still, after all that, she’s playing a game, but there are real emotions in there for her also. I just think it showed what a master manipulator and a game-player she is even under the circumstances that she faced. She never surrenders."

I’m not sure about “master manipulator,” but Cersei’s certainly no slouch, not even after all the mistakes she made this past year. The real question, as far as I’m concerned, is what she does with all these new experiences. Ever since first reading A Dance with Dragons, I’ve secretly been hoping that Cersei might mellow out a bit and start to see reason, possibly even becoming someone the audience can think about rooting for. When asked about Season 6, however, Headey thoughts didn’t seem to be in line with mine (quote reproduced in full because it’s really charming):

"I don’t think she’s incredibly happy. [laughs] I don’t think she likes very many people, even less than before, if that’s even possible. She’s made more enemies. … That was my baby pooping if you heard that! [laughs] This is hilarious, I have her on my boob, and she’s pooping, and we’re discussing Cersei. [laughs] Who says new moms can’t multitask? I think she’s in a state of pure vengeance, but I don’t think it’s going to be straightforward because it’s her. It is exciting. If I don’t die."

If she doesn’t die.