Dutch actress and singer Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre or popularly known as the Red Priestess in HBO's massively popular television show Game of Thrones (GoT), revealed in an interview with Deadline that the series which was famous for its nudity, had to cut down naked scenes following the #MeToo movement. She has said she’s now less comfortable with the on-screen nudity in the show than she was when it first aired.
“It wasn't my favourite thing in the world at all. But yes, in Black Book I experienced nudity on set. The Dutch are quite open-minded, we're a bit easier with that. But it's never comfortable being the only one undressed on set. It was before I had a child,” she explained.
"The Dutch are quite open-minded, we're a bit easier with that. But it's never comfortable being the only one undressed on set. It was before I had a child”
Van Houten has had multiple explicit scenes over various seasons but she claimed that it did feel uncomfortable to be the “only one undressed on set.” She further added, “The times have changed in many ways. Back then, it was all a little overwhelming. No one forced me into anything, but in hindsight I might have been a little more cautious with it.”
On asking about the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and how it impacted the decisions taken by Game of Thrones showrunners to reduce the amount of female nudity in later seasons, she responded, “Yes, it also showed that you don’t need it.”
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She has also stated that it as the reason why she turned down the lead role of Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades Of Grey films. She admitted that it was because of the amount of nudity in the films, the obsession grew with her nude scenes as Dany in the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones. “The last time that I was naked on camera was a long time ago, and yet it is the only question that I ever get asked because I am a woman,” she told Entertainment Weekly.
She has also stated that it as the reason why she turned down the lead role of Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades Of Grey films.
“And it’s annoying as hell and I’m sick and tired of it because I did it for the character – I didn’t do it so some guy could check out my tits, for God’s sake,” she expressed.
As the prequel of the show, tentatively titled The Long Night, is already in production, Van Houten said she won't return as Melisandre. “Who knows. I guess you could see a very young Melisandre or something like that. That could be fun. But not in the shape of me. No one has contacted me about it. There are so many great characters, but I personally would have loved to see more of Melisandre's background,” she said.
Feature Image Credit: whatculture.com
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