Gwendoline Christie and Brienne of Tarth are joined at the hip, and the two seem to have been destined for each other. It is not clear whether George R. R. Martin had Gwendoline on his mind when he included the tall masculine sword maiden in his books, but the description was perfectly suited to Gwendoline Christie.
Her performance in Game of Thrones has propelled her to a whole new level of stardom that she hadn't enjoyed before, although she did have a very interesting life before becoming Brienne of Tarth. At 6'3'', Gwendoline Christie didn't fit the typical definition of a model and an actress to most people, but things worked out for her in the end.
A Career Shaped By Appearance and A Spinal Injury
Gwendoline Christie was born in Worthing, Sussex, in a middle-class family that didn't have any actors, and she wasn't planning to be one either. She started classes to become a ballet dancer and a gymnast at the young age of seven, and everything went according to plan until tragedy struck. She was growing up fast, and her body couldn't keep up with the intense dancing classes leading to frequent injuries.
When she was eleven, she had a back injury, which meant she couldn't continue dancing and gymnastics anymore, so she switched careers and decided to become an actress. She Moved to Drama Centre in London to train as an actress, but her teachers were skeptical because they didn't think that someone that tall and androgynous would make it as an actress.
She Is Close With Simon Callow
Simon Callow is one of Britain's greatest actors of all time, and Gwendoline Christie is probably his best student. They met when Drama Center London assigned her to Callow as his assistant. They had a rather awkward first meeting, but the two later got along well, and Callow encouraged her to keep up acting as he thought she would have a great career.
While working as Callow's assistant, Christie also doubled up as his dog walker. Gwendoline still considers Simon Callow, one of the most trusted people in her life.
She Is Used To Being Bullied
Bullying ends many careers before they even really begin, especially when you have looks that set you apart like Gwendoline. She said that she was bullied because of her height by other kids and even adults for most of her life. She was already 5'7'' at age 12, and that meant she was way taller than all her classmates, which attracted many bullies.
The need to fit in and the constant body shaming made her struggle with accepting herself, and so she preferred to stay in the library rather than stay with the other kids. She even agreed to pose for the photo album Bunny in which she is nude in most photos in protest to the body-shaming she was enduring.
She Almost Became A Nun
Brienne of Tarth hadn't thought about joining any spiritual orders in Westeros, but she had difficulty finding her place in society. Gwendoline's story is something close to Brienne's except for her, the only place she thought her features wouldn't be a problem was the nunnery.
With negative comments from everyone around her and no big offers coming her way, Gwendoline thought she had failed as an actress while in drama school. She said in an interview that she had already figured out what her life would look like living a life of daily prayer and "harvesting vegetables in a walled garden." Simon Callow's advice came to her rescue and, better still, her breakthrough role in Breakfast at Tiffany's.
It Wasn't Easy Becoming Brienne Of Tarth
Gwendoline Christie won the role of Brienne of Tarth after just one audition as the directors thought she was perfectly suited for the role. She actually showed up for the auditions suited up in a costume, ready to perform the role. Playing the warrior woman wasn't easy, though.
Gwendoline had to undergo intense exercise to gain 14lb of muscle and another session of sword fighting training twice a week. She was also forced to shave her hair to fit into the role. She wasn't happy about shaving because her hair was the closest connection she had to her feminine side. Gwendoline also had to get used to wearing chainmail and the heavy costumes worn by Brienne of Tarth.
Her Opinion On Game of Thrones Ending
Brienne Of Tarth was mostly involved in action scenes that were hard but not short of awkward moments for Gwendoline Christie, which meant she was heavily invested in Game of Thrones. Like most stars on the show, Gwendoline was upset with how the producers handled the final season. she said that the producers "had to pull out all the stops for the final season."
Brienne of Tarth lasted until the final episode and ended the show in the small council in King's Landing, but that doesn't mean she was happy with the show's final season. She was in Canada when she got the scripts for the season and got so upset about it that she started pacing around. She was, however, happy when the season finally ended and said she was also happy with how it all turned out.
Her Love Life
Brienne of Tarth wasn't so lucky with love, well, until she met Renly Baratheon, who was nice to her but didn't love her, then Jaime Lannister, who loved her but loved his sister more. Gwendoline isn't as unlucky with love as Brienne, though, since she has been in a relationship since 2013.
She isn't dating Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), though, as that one has been married since 1997. She has been dating Giles Deacon, the famous British fashion designer that designed Pippa Middleton's wedding dress. She also wears his designs in most of her public appearances.
She Is An Activist In Her Own Way
Gwendoline Christie doesn't join public marches, but she doesn't stay in the closet either. She is a very outspoken person with a strong voice as the defender of women. After enduring such a tough childhood and a hard time breaking through the industry because of forces that hurt other women like her, Gwendoline chose to stand up and fight.
She is an outspoken feminist and antibullying activist that uses her fame to condemn body shaming. Her role as Brienne was a blessing to both herself and her fans as she confessed that it helped her love herself more. Gwendoline doesn't fail to emphasize the advantages of having features like hers and why everyone should be given an equal opportunity in life.
Her Favorite Game of Thrones Co-Star
Gwendoline Christie joined the cast of Game of Thrones in 2011, although her character didn't appear on the show until the second episode, "What Is Dead May Never Die." She stayed until the last season, which meant she had to become a part of the closely-nit family. She has never named any member of the cast as her favorite co-star, although most fans assumed she was closest to Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who plays Jaime.
The two shared many romantic scenes since Jaime is Brienne's only lover in the show, but their friendship doesn't seem to have drifted beyond the set. Gwendoline is close with Kit Harrington, though. She shared many behind-the-scenes photos with Harrington, who plays Jon Snow, and the two appear to be close even away from the set.
Other Major Roles Away From Game of Thrones
Playing Brienne Of Tarth has put Gwendoline in the limelight, so she is no longer the struggling actress of the early 2000s. Her performance in Game of Thrones brought her a lot of publicity that has seen her appear in some of the best films every year since 2011, especially after 2015.
In 2015, Gwendoline appeared in the trailer of Star Wars: Force Awakens leading to the increased interest in the film because she was playing Captain Phasma, but her character wasn't given a lot of screen time which led to a backlash. Her role as Lady Jane in The Darkest Minds, 2018, was also highly acclaimed but not as much as Brienne of Tarth.