Lena Headey recounted an encounter with Harvey Weinstein in which she told him to 'fuck himself' after he took her to a hotel room. She believes this led to her being blacklisted from Miramax films for a decade and a half.
Childhood and Feral Youth
Headey was born in Bermuda in 1973 and raised in West Yorkshire and Somerset. Her parents were in the police force. She described herself as an independent child who would shout 'Leave it, leave it, leave it!' if her parents tried to help. She had a 'feral decade' of dangerous outdoor activities.
From age 11 to her late teens, she struggled mentally. At 14, she ran away from home to Birmingham to meet older guys she had met on holiday. After smoking weed and running out of money, she returned home. A doctor diagnosed her as depressed but offered no further help.
Early Acting Career
Headey began acting in her late teens after being spotted in a school play at the National Theatre. She auditioned for the film 'Waterland' without an agent and got the part. She recalled feeling 'vulnerable and uncomfortable' being naked and simulating sex on set.
After 'Waterland,' she spent a decade auditioning, describing her 20s and 30s as tough. She felt she hadn't found her own value as a woman and traded on external social value.
Harvey Weinstein Encounter
Headey said she was 'lucky' with Harvey Weinstein because his keycard didn't work for the hotel room he had taken her to. Realizing what was happening, she told him to 'fuck himself.' After that, she never received another Miramax film. She felt blacklisted, saying 'A decade and a half of possibilities disappeared.'
Game of Thrones and Fame
At age 35, Headey auditioned for Cersei Lannister in 'Game of Thrones.' During the audition, an executive answered a phone call and left the room, making Headey think she had lost the part. She got the role anyway, earning five Emmy nominations.
The show brought her visibility but also strange moments, like being approached while on holiday with her children. She said fame is not for her, preferring Jomo (the joy of missing out) over constant publicity. She admitted that doing less press may have cost her job opportunities.
Protecting Her Daughter
Headey said that as a mother, her main stress is wanting her children to avoid pain or violence. She sees the power of her 11-year-old daughter's beauty in the eyes of men who should not be looking at her. She finds liberation in getting older and no longer being leered at.
