Hannah Waddingham Recounts Traumatic Experience Filming Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones has been known for its intense and sometimes brutal scenes, but actress Hannah Waddingham, famous for her role as Septa Unella, revealed that she had a particularly distressing experience while filming the HBO series.

In an interview with Collider Ladies Night, she shared that she was subjected to waterboarding for 10 hours during the shooting of a torture scene.

Originally, the scene was intended to be even more horrifying, with Unella being raped by Gregor Clegane, also known as the Mountain.

However, due to previous complaints about the rape of another character, Sansa, the writers decided to change it.

Waddingham discovered this last-minute alteration when she received new scripts just before her flight to Belfast.

Confused by the inclusion of a wetsuit top, she thought it was a mistake.

Upon arriving on set, Waddingham was informed that waterboarding would replace the original plan.

She was bound to a wooden table with secure straps while Cersei, played by Lena Headey, poured wine onto her face.

Waddingham described it as the worst day of her life, second only to childbirth.

Both she and Headey were uncomfortable with the prolonged pouring of liquid, but they chose to commit to their roles rather than backing out.

After completing the scene, Waddingham encountered Miguel Sapochnik, the episode's director, who asked if she was okay.

She responded with a sarcastic remark, to which he revealed that the crew had been discussing how they were truly waterboarding her.

This revelation did not come as a surprise to Waddingham.

The impact of filming the scene stayed with Waddingham long after the cameras stopped rolling.

She developed claustrophobia around water and experienced physical bruises reminiscent of an attack.

Despite enduring 10 hours of waterboarding, only one minute and 37 seconds of the footage made it onto the final cut.

Waddingham acknowledged that the creators aimed for authenticity and trusted the production team.

Although she had concerns about the tight strap around her neck, she understood that any visible attempts to save herself would compromise the realism of the scene.

Dan Weiss, one of the show's co-creators, even emphasized the need for Cersei to empty a significant amount of wine on Unella to convey the desired retribution.

Waddingham found solace in knowing that the production company would not let her come to harm.

As of now, HBO has not responded to requests for comment regarding Waddingham's revelations.

Despite the challenges she faced during filming, Waddingham remained committed to delivering a compelling performance that would resonate with audiences.