Christine Wildwood

Gwendoline Tracey Philippa Christie, born October 28, 1978, is an English actress recognized for her significant roles in popular fantasy and science fiction productions. She gained widespread acclaim for portraying the warrior Brienne of Tarth in HBO's "Game of Thrones" (2012–2019) and Captain Phasma in the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy films "The Force Awakens" (2015) and "The Last Jedi" (2017). Her performance in "Game of Thrones" earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination in 2019. Christie's career also includes appearances in "The Sandman" and "Wednesday" on Netflix, and the Apple TV+ series "Severance," for which she received another Emmy nomination.

Christie's early life was marked by a spinal injury at age 11, which led her to abandon gymnastics for acting. Her unconventional height, standing at 6 feet 3¼ inches, initially led to doubts about her career prospects in acting, with some suggesting she would struggle to find work. However, inspired by Tilda Swinton's performance in "Orlando," Christie pursued her acting ambitions. She graduated from Drama Centre London in 2005 and began her career in stage productions and early screen work, including collaborations with artist Nathaniel Mellors and a role in Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

Following her graduation from Drama Centre London in 2005, Gwendoline Christie embarked on a career that initially faced skepticism due to her distinctive physical presence. Her height, a significant aspect of her persona, drew the attention of photographer Polly Borland, who featured Christie in a series of nude photographs titled "Bunny" between 2002 and 2008. Christie reflected that this artistic collaboration helped her confront her body image and challenge conventional ideas of femininity, though she later expressed surprise at her past willingness to participate. Her stage work included notable roles such as the Queen in Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" and Lucifer in Marlowe's "Doctor Faustus." Her early screen credits involved collaborations with filmmaker Nathaniel Mellors on short films and experimental projects, where she also contributed behind the scenes in roles like associate producer and costume designer.

Christie achieved widespread recognition through her portrayal of the formidable warrior Brienne of Tarth in HBO's acclaimed fantasy series "Game of Thrones," beginning in its second season in 2012. Drawing on her personal experiences of being bullied for her height and androgynous appearance, Christie found a deep connection to the character. Her preparation involved intensive physical training, including gaining muscle mass and learning horsemanship and sword fighting. The role earned her critical praise and a Saturn Award nomination. She further solidified her status in genre entertainment by playing Captain Phasma in the "Star Wars" sequel films "The Force Awakens" (2015) and "The Last Jedi" (2017), and also appeared in the British sci-fi series "Wizards vs Aliens" and Terry Gilliam's "The Zero Theorem."

In the years following her major fantasy roles, Christie continued to expand her diverse portfolio. She took on a main role as Constable Miranda Hilmarson in the second season of Jane Campion's "Top of the Lake: China Girl" (2017). Her "Game of Thrones" performance culminated in a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2019. More recently, she has appeared in the Netflix series "The Sandman" as Lucifer and "Wednesday" as Principal Weems (both 2022), and the Apple TV+ series "Severance" (2025), earning another Emmy nomination for her guest role in the latter. Beyond acting, Christie has engaged with the fashion world, walking for Maison Margiela and hosting the Met Gala livestream for Vogue in 2024, and also lent her voice as the narrator for the video game "Civilization VII" released in 2025.

“Well, she is in a film, she is otherworldly, and is definitely outside the room. I realised that maybe there is a place for me too.”