Gemma Whelan: Game of Thrones “changed things” for women on TV

Say what you will about Game of Thrones after watching its final season, but the HBO series excelled in many ways, including by featuring a wide range of female characters who had arcs and personalities as complex as what the male characters were given. Fans have frequently praised the show for this, and star Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy) is right there with them. 

Speaking with Radio Times, Whelan said that she’s seen the roles offered to her expand since her time as queen of the Iron Islands, and attributes that at least partially to the influence Game of Thrones has had on television. “Game of Thrones really did change things in terms of how women are written and represented,” she said, adding that she hadn’t been “woke” to the differences in roles commonly offered to women before playing Yara. Back then, she was just happy for any work and didn’t particularly care if the role was big or small or whatever.

It’s probably safe to assume she’s not the only person whose eyes were opened after experiencing the HBO series, and it’s great to that the show has nudged the industry in the right direction. “Obviously, it was a fantasy, but the women were painted very realistically nonetheless,” Whelan said. “Maybe not the murdering side of things, but they were independent and capable of running the show.

That’s certainly true, and it’s something viewers will hopefully see more of in the future. And of course, this doesn’t mean that shows about men will stop getting made, just that the things may equal out a bit. “There’s space for us all,“ Whelan finished.

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h/t Metro