Lena Headey, who plays Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones, is one of the most beloved (and hated) characters on the epic series. She, along with the rest of cast, have amassed a cult following spanning viewers of all ages.
In between filmings, however, Lena is a loving mom to kids Wylie, 6, and her baby daughter, who is nearly a year old. The identity of her second child’s father has yet to be confirmed. However, the father of her first child is Peter Loughran, her husband of five years, from whom she separated back in 2012.
“It’s a mourning process, and yet nobody’s died.”
“It’s tough,” she told More magazine of the difficult divorce. “There’s a lot of hurt and sadness and disappointment. Grief. Massive grief. It’s a mourning process, and yet nobody’s died.”
The British beauty, who’s been open about valuing her privacy, also talked briefly about her battle with postpartum depression after the birth of her son. But, she assured the magazine’s readers that she hasn’t experienced it in a while.
“People who never get anxious always amaze me.”
“I haven’t had a spell in a long time. I think some people’s brains are just wired that way if you’re a thinker,” she says. “People who never get anxious always amaze me. The world could be breaking up and they’re saying, ‘Everything’s fine!’ Getting older and having kids, you learn how to become less serious about it all.”
She confirmed the birth of her second baby through this tweet, which is low-key and adorable as she is.
A little over a month before her second child was born, she confirmed the baby’s gender in a guest blog post entitled ‘Daughter’, which was published on Planusa.org.
“She will be free to marry if she wants, to marry WHO she wants, to remain single, or to fall in love with another woman.”
“My daughter will have freedom of choice,” she wrote, making a touching pledge about how she would raise her baby even before she was born. “She will be free to dance, to sing, to be educated in the fields that spark her passion, to marry if she wants, to marry WHO she wants, to remain single, or to fall in love with another woman. She’ll be able to wear what she wants, put on lipstick, and read books that spark debate and expand her mind.”
Lena, who’s been an outspoken advocate of women’s rights, hopes to raise her daughter in an environment which respects and values her.
“She will be loved, protected, respected, and celebrated,” she added. “All these things that should be, and will be, basic human rights, are a promise to my daughter.”
Though she gave birth last year, Lena Headey can still recall one particular funny incident. More on that on the next page
The role of Cersei Lannister was practically tailor-made for Lena, who’s received two Emmy nods. One of the most memorable scenes was the harrowing “walk of shame” she had to endure, as her character was made to “atone” for her sins by walking around naked through King’s Landing.
Though it may have been difficult for fans to watch, Lena singles out that walk of shame scene as her favorite of the entire fifth season.
“It was tough,” she explained in a previous interview. “I loved that. I love a challenge. To remain emotionally focused in the midst of that three-day marathon … it was good to be recognized for that.”
After the first few episodes of season 6 aired, Lena stopped by The Late Late Show with James Corden to talk more about the iconic scene. But, what viewers weren’t expecting was a hilarious anecdote from the usually private actress.
After she gave birth to her daughter back in July 2015, she immediately began breastfeeding. Seeing that she was struggling to let down her milk, her “fella” (who we’re assuming is the baby’s dad) tried to help her out but to no avail. So, they asked the nurse to help them out.
As she was squeezing the nipple to stimulate milk flow, the nurse—who turned out to be a Game of Thrones superfan–just couldn’t resist saying “Shame.” Fans of the series will totally get that this is a nod to the sadistic and creepy Septa Unella.
Though Lena was a sport about the whole thing, we doubt Cersei would have been…
QUIZ: Which Game of Thrones mum are you?
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