You’re probably aware that season 6 of Game of Thrones premiered on April 24. And we’ve mentioned before how many of the boys of Game of Thrones have been featured in a fair number of historical costume movies and TV. Well, it’s about time we looked at the ladies of Game of Thrones — how many of them have crossed between fantasy and historical costume and TV productions? Not a lot, but we did find a few big names and frequent fliers between genres.
Lena Headey
The wickedest woman in Westros, Cersei Lannister, recently fought off the undead and Jane Austen as Lady Catherine de Bourgh in 2016’s Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. She had bit parts in a number of historical costume TV productions such as Ava Wigram in the 1930s Churchill TV movie The Gathering Storm (2002). And in the same year, she played the doomed lesbian lover, Blanche Glover, in the Victorian flashback portions of the film, Possession. Now that’s some acting range!
Michelle Fairley
Catelyn Stark may be gone, but she’s not forgotten. Since Catelyn’s Red Wedding, Fairley has played Victorian author Wilkie Collins’ mistress, Caroline Graves, in the Dickens’ biographical film, The Invisible Woman (2013). She also had a small part in the 2015 retelling of Moby Dick, In the Heart of the Sea, as Mrs. Nickerson, set circa 1850.
Natalie Dormer
Surely you recognized Margaery Tyrell from her previous historical costume roles? Dormer rose to fame as Anne Boleyn in The Tudors (2007-2010), and recently she was The Scandalous Lady W (2015)
Carice van Houten
The actress behind Melisandre has done a lot of European TV, but the only historical costume film I recognized was the small, sweet flick From Time to Time (2009), where she’s in an 1820s flashback as Lady Maria Oldknow.
Rose Leslie
Both before and after she climed the Wall as Ygritte, Leslie was on Downton Abbey (2010, 2015), first as chambermaid Gwen Dawson, then after Gwen married Mr. Harding. She’s also been in the edu-tainment miniseries about the 1660s The Great Fire (2014) as a townsperson Sarah.
Tara Fitzgerald
Stannis’ unfortunate wife, Selyse Baratheon, lingered in the shadows, while Fitzgerald has had an extensive career in historical costume movies and TV shows. She’s played everyone from a villainous version of Marie de Medici in The Musketeers (2014) to abused wife on the run Helen Graham in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1996) to needing to be un-repressed Estella Campion in Sirens (1994).
Diana Rigg
Prickly Olenna Tyrell is just one of Rigg’s snarky and delightful roles. In historical costume, she’s dabbled in many eras. I featured her turn as detective Adela Bradley in The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries (1998-2000), plus she was Arlena Marshall in the 1930s Poirot mystery movie Evil Under the Sun (1982), and Charlotte Mittelheim in film version of Sondheim’s musical (set in 1900 Vienna) A Little Night Music (1977). And then there’s her iconic role as Mrs. Peel in The Avengers, and in one episode “Escape in Time” (1966), she attempts to travel back to the 18th century.
Who’s your favorite woman from Game of Thrones?
Favourite GOT lady has to be Natalie Dormer, loved her as Victoria in Casanova, and as Anne Boleyn in “The Tudors”.
Also Maise Williams, but I think the only period piece she’s done is “The Falling”, and 1960s school uniforms are not that interesting to look at…
Also Maisie Williams has done Vikings and then mid-17th century in Doctor Who….
Natalie Dormer was terrific in Casanova — that’s where I first saw her, so I was psyched when I heard a few months later she’d been cast as Anne Boleyn.
Saw Carice in… was it called Black Death? Something with Sean Bean in it. You can guess how it ends. :P
Should also add that I loved Lena Heady in the 1994 version of The Jungle Book.
Yes! That was the first thing I ever saw her in. I remember thinking she was so beautiful.
I’m surprised you did not include Kate Dickie. Besides playing the deranged Lysa Aran, she was the pregnant wife of John in Pillars of the Earth.
I didn’t know Lena Headey was in Possession! Goodness, was that a makeunder or what?
First time I saw van Houten was in “The Black Book,” a WWII story where she played a Jew infiltrating the Nazi hierarchy by becoming the mistress of a highly placed officer. I guess that counts as a period piece these days. Been a fan ever since.
She was amazing in that film, highly recommended!
Also my first experience of Van Houten and I concur. (Wonder if she’s related to the chocolate family)
Just watched Tara Reid in Frenchman’s Creek. Wild.
Tara Fitzgerald is also in I Claudius (I just finished a rewatch).
Diana Rigg co-starred with Oliver Reed in the 1968 movie, “THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU, LTD.”, in which she portrayed an Edwardian journalist and suffragette.
Lena Headley was also in the 1994 Disney film, “THE JUNGLE BOOK” and in the 1993 film, “THE REMAINS OF THE DAY”.
“In the Heart of the Sea” is not a retelling of Moby Dick, it’s a retelling of the true story on which Hermann Melville based Moby Dick.
What about Oona Chaplin (Talisa Maegyr, Robb’s wife in the show) in the criminally underappreciated BBC show The Hour?
OH MY GOD I did not realize Diana Rigg was Arlena from Evil Under The Sun until JUST NOW. I love that movie! And Jane Birkin is fabulously evil at the end
Diana was fabulously bitchy as Arlena- it was hilarious – & it had her facing off against Dame Maggie Smith, too!
Lena was also in an adaption of The Jungle Book, back in the 90’s, with everyone’s favourite ‘Dread Pirate Roberts’, Cary Elwes as a bad guy & my beloved Sam Neill- as well as Jason Scott-Lee as Mowgli.
She was also in some Merlin mini-series/ movie-thing, also with Sam- her wedding dress in that is stunning! Even though it doesn’t get much screen-time, it makes Cotillard’s wedding/ coronation costume look kind of average, tbh.
Nat got a little cameo in Capt America, I believe.
I guess it’s costume (although Judi Dench wears little but green paint as Titania): “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Diana Rigg plays Helena, and Helen Mirren Hermia. Made in 1968, so it’s kind of silly, but lots of fun, and a fantastic cast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream_(1968_film)