Lena Headey has criticised Hollywood this week for protecting "predatory men" and revealed she was stunned by fan anger after using a body double for Cersei Lannister's nude walk-of-shame scene, in a new interview with The Telegraph.
TL;DR
- Headey said Hollywood offers "weird protection" to powerful men accused of misconduct.
- She was taken aback by the backlash from Game of Thrones fans over a body-double nude scene in Season 5.
- Headey previously accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment in 2017.
- The comments appeared in a wide-ranging interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph.
Headey says Hollywood still shields powerful men
Lena Headey, the Emmy-nominated Game of Thrones actor, has renewed her criticism of an industry culture that shields men accused of misconduct because of their influence. She said younger actresses have often felt pressure to tolerate uncomfortable situations simply to keep working, according to the Express Tribune's report on the interview.
Headey pointed to the #MeToo movement as the moment the scale of the problem became impossible to ignore. She also reflected on her early career, saying she initially struggled to recognise when situations on set had crossed a line.
Game of Thrones sceen @Â imdb
The Game of Thrones nude-scene backlash
Headey also opened up about the criticism she faced after choosing a body double and visual effects for Cersei Lannister's infamous walk of shame in Season 5. Some fans argued at the time that the star should have performed the nude scene herself.
"I was really shocked by the anger," Headey said of the reaction, adding that filming the scene herself in front of thousands of extras would have made it far harder to deliver the performance the moment needed.
Her past allegations against Harvey Weinstein
Headey was among the actors who accused producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment in 2017. She has said he made suggestive comments toward her at the Venice Film Festival while she was promoting The Brothers Grimm, and that he later invited her to his hotel under the pretext of discussing a script.
Weinstein is now serving a prison sentence following multiple sexual assault convictions.
UK viewers can revisit Cersei's story on Sky
Headey, who is British, gave the interview to The Telegraph, one of the UK's leading national newspapers. British fans wanting to revisit her performance as Cersei Lannister can stream all eight seasons of Game of Thrones in the UK via HBO Max on Sky, or through a NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership. The series carries an 18 rating from the British Board of Film Classification across all eight seasons, reflecting its graphic violence and sexual content.
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed July 22, 2026.
Sources: Express Tribune ¡ Deadline ¡ Variety ¡ Sky.com
