'Game Of Thrones' Star Lena Headey Reveals Struggle With Anxiety And Depression

On Game of Thrones, Lena Headey plays the fierce and fearsome Queen Cersei Lannister.Cersei is [...]

By Stephen Andrew

On Game of Thrones, Lena Headey plays the fierce and fearsome Queen Cersei Lannister.

Cersei is brilliant and, amidst a cabal of conniving players, knows how to play the long game better than anyone else.

She's suffered incredible trial and tribulations, literally, but never lets anything defer her focus. Cersei can be slowed down, but she cannot be stopped. Many have tried. All have failed.

In real life, Lena Headey is a regular, non-regal human woman, and she has problems and difficulties just like any other normal human.

Today, Lena gave us a little insight into that battles she's had to face mentally and emotionally when one of her Twitter followers asked her this question:

and she responded:

But she didn't just leave it at that...

Scroll down to see more of Lena Headey's insight for dealing with anxiety.

[H/T: Marie Claire]

​

Headey has been acting since she was 17, getting her first big break in the film The Remains of the Day, which starred Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson and garnered eight Academy Award Nominations.

Following that, in 1994, she scored the female lead in Disney's first live-action remake of The Jungle Book.

prevnext

​

Even though she's been acting in films and TV for a decade, it wasn't until the early 2000's that audiences really began to notice the strength and depth that Lena brought to each of her roles.

Turns in The Brothers Grimm, Ripley's Game, and the critically maligned but often fan-appreciated horror film The Cave.

prevnext

​

Easily her first defining role, and very likely what lead to her securing the role of Cersei, was when she played Gorgo, the Queen of Sparta, wife to Gerard Butler's King Leonidas, in 300.

Gorgo is in many ways similar to Cersei. They're both fearless and put family before anything. Headey wowed audiences and critics in 300, putting her well on her way to the Hollywood A-list.

prevnext

​

In 2008, Headey took on the role of Sarah Connor in FOX's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which tells the story of Sarah and her son John Connor following the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Starting to see a trend? Headey's roles are strong, brave women. Once you realize that it makes her career-defining turn as the Lannister matriarch feel even more serendipitous.

prevnext

​

With Game of Thrones' season 7 premiere slowly approaching, we're forced to face that after that there's only going to be one more season of the globally popular HBO show. It's OK to be sad. This is distressing news.

But on the upside, that's still two full seasons of Headey's cunning and courageous Cersei Lannister slaying all those who oppose her we have to look forward to, so it could be worse.

prev
0comments
Start the Conversation

of