star Lena Headey has given a short and decidedly blunt explanation about why she will not watch . Considered one of the most complex and fascinating characters in HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s novels, Headey’s performance as the headstrong and uncompromising Cersei Lannister would earn her widespread praise and a slew of award nominations over the course of the show’s eight-season run. As one of the central figures competing for the coveted Iron Throne, Headey’s Cersei outlasted many of her rivals, dying only in the final moments of the penultimate episode.
During a recent interview with
Nah. Too weird.
constantly introduced a long list of villainous characters whose lust for power and complete lack of scruples made them the kind of individuals that audiences loved to hate.
Yet among the many assorted villains to grace viewers’ screens during original run, none seemed to possess even a fraction of the complexity, enduring appeal, or sheer longevity of Headey’s Cersei Lannister. While certainly has its own share of characters increasingly willing to forsake their own integrity in exchange for power and position, Headey’s commanding performance in the original show has set a nearly impossible bar for anyone else to follow.
Even , whose own love for her children and fierce desire to protect their claim to the Iron Throne directly echoes Cersei’s own, does not seem to possess the same intense and single-minded sense purpose that eventually drove Cersei to claim Westeros for herself. While there remains some measure of consternation about Cersei’s eventual fate in controversial final season, her character continues to stand as a testament to the power of a well-written character backed by an incredible performance.