Hannah Waddingham would “100%” do Game of Thrones waterboarding scene again
By Dan Selcke
Game of Thrones star Hannah Waddingham (Septa Unella, better known as the Shame Nun) made waves a couple months back when she talked about the scene in “The Winds of Winter” where Cersei Lannister strapped Unella to a table and poured wine in her face, effectively wine-boarding her. “And there I was strapped to a wooden table with proper big straps for 10 hours,” Waddingham said. “And definitely, other than childbirth, it was the worst day of my life.”
Since then, there was a bit of a media narrative that posited that the Game of Thrones set was unsafe and hostile, and Waddinham has been clarifying what she said. “I found it quite claustrophobic, where I have never had any claustrophobia before, and I went and had a bit of hypnotherapy afterwards,” Waddingham recently said on “TheWrap-Up” podcast. “I said in an interview that it was the worst day of my life, other than childbirth. Yes, it was. In that moment, that experience was really unpleasant.”
At the same time, Waddingham said that she trusted the producers not to push her to the point where her emotional health would be harmed, and that she has no regrets. “I would 100% do it again in a heartbeat,” she said. “Because there are some moments — and I’ve actually discussed it with a couple of the guys from ‘Thrones’ since — where you need to give of yourself, even if it makes you uncomfortable.”
Hannah Waddingham: Actors should “speak up” about their mental health
While Waddingham was “lucky” not to be pushed too far, that doesn’t always happen. Waddingham is an advocate for actors calling out when they don’t feel their mental health is being taken care of on set. “I think you have to speak up,” she said. “If you don’t feel comfortable with something, you speak up. And [producers] will always listen. And if they don’t listen, that’s when it becomes a problem.”
You can see Waddingham right now in the second season of Ted Lasso on Applt TV+.
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