Game Of Thrones actress Nathalie Emmanuel has revealed that the nude scenes she had to perform over the years has made a significant impact on her career. The 32-year-old actress is well known for playing Missandei of Naath in the HBO series, a former slave who was freed by Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and then joined her in her effort to win back the Iron Throne for the remainder of the series.
Emmanuel was among the many main cast members who had a selection of nude scenes throughout her time on the show. Over the course of several seasons, Missandei develops a close relationship with Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson), a soldier in the Unsullied army that was freed by Daenerys at the same time as her. In the penultimate season of the show, the two consummated their relationship in a romantic love scene that was highly anticipated by fans. The scene contained nudity and graphic sexual content, elements that Game Of Thrones had never shied away from.
However, Emmanuel has recently revealed that, as a result of her performance on Game Of Thrones, there is now an unrealistic expectation from producers of other projects that she is fully comfortable performing nude scenes, when oftentimes, that is not the case. Emmanuel revealed on the Make It Reign Podcast that just because she was comfortable with nudity on Game Of Thrones, that comfort does not translate to other projects by default. See the full quote below:
When I did Game of Thrones, I agreed towards certain nude scenes or nudity within the show... And the perception from other projects, when the role required nudity, that I was just open to do anything because I did it on that one show. But what people didn’t realize is I agreed terms and specific things for that one particular project, and that doesn’t necessarily apply to all projects.
Game Of Thrones has always carried with it the controversy of featuring scenes that contain explicit nudity and strong sexual content. Performing in scenes that contain these elements is incredibly challenging for any actor, and as Emmanuel makes very clear, it is important to agree on the terms of the scenes with each project individually. Just because she was willing to portray naked scenes on Game Of Thrones, a sentiment shared by her co-star Emilia Clarke, that does not mean that same degree of comfort will translate to every project that will follow.
Emmanuel's performance as Missandei on Game Of Thrones proves that she is a talented and versatile actress in many ways. From her introduction in Season 3 to her climactic and tragic death in Season 8, Missandei was a beloved character on Game Of Thrones who was made complete by the brilliant acting of Emmanuel. Fans of the show can look forward to seeing her in upcoming projects, such as the upcoming F9, the ninth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise.
Source: Make It Reign Podcast