Lena Headey slams Hollywood culture of protecting predators

“Game of Thrones” star Lena Headey has criticised Hollywood’s “weird protection” of “predatory men”, highlighting toxic power dynamics within the industry.

In a recent interview, Headey, who played Cersei Lannister in the HBO fantasy series, also detailed her shock over the backlash she faced for using a body double during her character’s naked “walk of shame” in Season 5.

“I was really shocked by the anger, by this idea that I’d duped the audience,” Headey said. “But by that point everyone knew [the cast], it was insane simply going anywhere, and I was with 3000 extras. Acting is a joy but it requires a lot of you. I wouldn’t have been able to do the emotional part of the job; I’d have been in full on defensive mode.”

Notably, in 2017, Headey had accused tainted filmmaker Harvey Weinstein, who is serving jail time for multiple sexual assault charges, of making suggestive comments at the Venice Film Festival during the promotion of “The Brothers Grimm”. Years later, Headey revealed that Weinstein invited her to his hotel room on the pretext of reviewing a script.

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“The weird protection that we offer predatory men in the business because of the disproportionate power they wield, set against the need among vulnerable actresses to work to put food on the table to get the job—it makes me very angry,” the actress said.

“A job can be completely soured by one person who, for some reason, is allowed to get away with it. It was only when the #MeToo movement erupted [in 2017] that we realised—oh, this is everywhere,” she added.

“I think most young women I speak to now in this business are so savvy. The attitude today is, ‘I’m not f—ing doing that’,” Headey said.