Gwendoline Christie is a British actress. She is best known for portraying the warrior
Brienne of Tarth in the HBO fantasy-drama series Game of Thrones and Lexi in the science
fantasy series Wizards vs Aliens. In film, Christie started with minor roles in the Terry
Gilliam films The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and The Zero Theorem, and is set to appear
as Commander Lyme in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2, and in the upcoming Star
Wars Episode VII.
Early life Christie was born in Worthing, West Sussex,
and grew up in a hamlet near the South Downs. She trained as a semi-professional gymnast
as a child, but after a spine injury forced her to abandon that career, she took up acting.
Christie graduated from Drama Centre London in 2005.
Career
Christie's mentor since drama school has been actor and author Simon Callow. Her theatrical
career includes a performance as the Queen in Shakespeare's Cymbeline and "standing out"
as Lucifer in Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. On screen, Christie played supporting roles in
Terry Gilliam's 2009 and 2013 films The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and The Zero Theorem,
the BBC TV production The Seven Ages of Britain, and the 2012 television series Wizards vs
Aliens, among others. Christie's striking height, 6 ft 3 in, attracted
the attention of photographer Polly Borland, who made Christie the subject of a noted series
of photographs, entitled Bunny, between 2002 and 2008. According to Christie, she felt
then that the photographs—in which she appears mostly nude—could help her come to terms
with her body, and challenge notions of femininity. However, she later said that she was shocked
in retrospect that she had agreed to them. In July 2011, Christie was cast as the warrior
Brienne of Tarth in the second season of HBO's fantasy TV series Game of Thrones. Her character—an
unusually tall, muscular, and plain-looking woman—is a favourite among many readers
of the novels, and Christie had been proposed for the role on fan websites long before auditions
took place. Christie said that she could draw on her own
experiences of having been bullied for her height and androgynous looks to play the part
of Brienne, a role that she was passionate to obtain after reading the A Song of Ice
and Fire novels which the show adapts. To prepare even for the auditions, she started
wearing unisex clothing to help her get into her character's more masculine mindset, and
took up an intensive training regime, gaining over a stone of muscle mass. According to
series co-writer and -producer George R.R. Martin, she obtained the role practically
without debate after an arresting audition at which she appeared already made up and
costumed as Brienne. After being cast in the role, she prepared for it by taking horsemanship,
sword-fighting, and stagefighting lessons. Her debut in the second season's third episode
on 15 April 2012 was well received by critics. Nina Shen Rastogi praised her "eloquent and
economical physical performance", noting that her walk, stance, and mien effectively conveyed
Brienne's single-minded devotion to her self-given quest to become a knight and to her king Renly.
For her role as Brienne, Christie was nominated for the 2013 Saturn Award for Best Supporting
Actress. In April 2014 Christie was cast in the role
of Commander Lyme for the final two films in the The Hunger Games series. Actress Lily
Rabe had signed on for the part previously, but had to back out due to scheduling conflicts.
Christie joined the cast of Star Wars Episode VII in June 2014.
Filmography Film
Television Theatre
References
External links Gwendoline Christie at the Internet Movie
Database Gwendoline Christie at United Agents
"Meet the British stars of Game of Thrones". Radio Times.