When Gwendoline Christie first stepped onto the screen as Brienne of Tarth, the world sort of shifted. She wasn't just another knight. She was a revelation. For fans of the books, seeing Gwendoline Christie in Game of Thrones felt like a character jumping straight out of George R.R. Martin’s ink and into the mud of Westeros. It's rare. Usually, casting is a series of compromises. But with Gwendoline, it was different. She stood 6'3". She had this raw, vulnerable intensity that basically forced everyone to pay attention.
Honestly, it's hard to remember what the landscape of female action stars looked like before she showed up. We had the "tough girls" who looked like supermodels holding guns. Then came Brienne. She was scarred, mocked, and fiercely loyal. She changed things.
The Casting Gamble That Saved Brienne of Tarth
Let’s be real for a second. Finding someone to play Brienne was a nightmare for the casting directors. The character is described as "homely" and unusually tall. In a Hollywood obsessed with a very specific type of beauty, Gwendoline Christie was a breath of fresh air. She actually lobbied for the role. Hard. She knew this was her moment. She started a grueling regime before she even had the part, losing weight and gaining muscle to look the part of a battle-hardened warrior.
The internet was buzzing back then. People weren't sure if HBO could pull off a character that relied so much on physical presence rather than traditional "screen appeal." They were wrong. Gwendoline didn't just play a knight; she embodied the very concept of chivalry in a world that had forgotten what the word even meant.
She once mentioned in an interview with Vogue that she had to strip away her own femininity to find Brienne. She cut her hair. She changed how she walked. She embraced being "unconventional." That kind of commitment is why Gwendoline Christie’s Game of Thrones performance remains a gold standard for character acting.
Why the Brienne and Jaime Dynamic Still Hits Different
You’ve probably seen the memes. The "oaths" and the "swords" and the bathtub scene. But why does it still resonate years later? It’s the chemistry. It wasn't just romantic; it was transformative. Gwendoline played Brienne as a woman who had never been seen as a woman. When Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Jaime Lannister finally looks at her—really looks at her—it’s one of the most moving arcs in television history.
It wasn't easy.
Filming in those suits of armor was basically torture. Gwendoline has spoken about the sheer weight of the metal. It wasn't prop plastic; it was heavy, restrictive gear that made every movement a chore. But that weight added to the performance. You can see the exhaustion in her eyes during the fight with the Hound. That wasn't just acting. That was a woman who had been swinging a broadsword in the rain for twelve hours.
The Physicality of Gwendoline Christie in Game of Thrones
A lot of actors talk about "transforming," but Gwendoline actually did it. She trained with C.C. Smiff, the swordmaster for the show. She didn't want a stunt double to do the heavy lifting. She wanted to be the one taking the hits.
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Think about the Bear Pit.
That wasn't a closed set with a CGI teddy bear. Well, the bear was real for some of it—Bart the Bear II. Gwendoline was in that pit. She was dirty. She was vulnerable. It’s that willingness to be truly "ugly" on screen that made her Brienne so beautiful to the audience. She challenged the viewers. She asked them to find the grace in a woman who was constantly told she had none.
- She trained for months in horseback riding.
- Sword fighting became a daily ritual.
- The armor weighed upwards of 30 pounds.
- She had to learn to move like a man of the era would.
Most people don't realize that Gwendoline Christie’s Game of Thrones journey actually started with her feeling like an outsider in her own industry. She told The Guardian that she spent years being told she was too tall or too "different" for mainstream roles. Game of Thrones didn't just give her a job; it gave her a platform to prove that "different" is exactly what the audience was craving.
Breaking the "Ugly" Trope
In the books, Brienne is frequently called "the Beauty" as a cruel joke. The show leaned into this, but Gwendoline brought a dignity to it that wasn't always on the page. She didn't play Brienne as a victim. She played her as a powerhouse who happened to be hurt.
There's this specific scene where she’s being mocked by the soldiers, and she just... stands there. She takes it. But you see the flicker in her eyes. It's the nuance. That’s what separates a good actor from a great one. Gwendoline Christie understood that Brienne’s armor wasn't just made of steel; it was a psychological defense mechanism.
The Impact on Fashion and Gender Norms
After Game of Thrones, Gwendoline became a fashion icon. It sounds like a contradiction, right? The "homely" knight became the darling of Vivienne Westwood and Iris van Herpen. But it makes perfect sense. Her role as Brienne taught the world to appreciate her unique silhouette.
She walked runways. She did high-fashion shoots. She basically told the world that her height and her features weren't "problems" to be solved, but assets to be celebrated. This shift started because of the confidence she gained playing a knight. Brienne gave Gwendoline the armor she needed to take on the real world.
What We Get Wrong About the Ending
People are still mad about Season 8. I get it. The way Brienne’s story "ended" with her crying in a bathrobe over Jaime Lannister left a sour taste in many mouths. Critics argued it undid years of character growth. But if you look closer, it was actually the most "human" thing the show did.
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Brienne wasn't a robot.
She was a woman who finally allowed herself to feel something other than duty. Was it heartbreaking? Yeah. Was it "out of character"? Not really. Gwendoline defended the scene, noting that Brienne deserved to have a full range of human emotions, including the messy, painful ones.
The real ending wasn't the heartbreak. It was Brienne sitting in the Red Keep, finishing Jaime’s story in the White Book. She became the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. She achieved the one thing she always wanted: respect and a place of honor. She wasn't defined by the man who left her, but by the ink she put on the page.
The Legacy of the Knight
Since the show ended, Gwendoline has moved on to Star Wars, The Sandman, and Wednesday. But she’ll always be Brienne to us. She paved the way for more diverse body types in fantasy. You see it now in shows like The Witcher or House of the Dragon. There’s a broader understanding of what a "warrior" looks like.
She also proved that a female character doesn't need a love interest to be compelling, even if she eventually gets one. Brienne’s primary relationship was always with her own honor.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Creators
If you’re looking at Gwendoline Christie’s career as a blueprint, there are a few things to keep in mind.
- Lean into your "flaws." What Hollywood told Gwendoline was a hindrance turned out to be her greatest strength. If she had tried to fit the mold, she’d have been just another background actor.
- Physicality matters. If you're playing a role, or even just writing one, the way a character moves tells more than their dialogue. Brienne’s stiff posture told the story of her internal repression.
- Loyalty is a narrative engine. Brienne’s drive came from her oaths. In storytelling, a character with a code is always more interesting than one who just reacts to things.
- Don't fear the "ugly" moments. Whether you're an actor, a writer, or just a fan, embracing the raw and unpolished aspects of humanity is what creates a lasting connection.
Gwendoline Christie’s Game of Thrones performance wasn't just a win for the show; it was a win for representation. She showed us that you can be soft and hard at the same time. You can be a knight and a lady, or neither, or both.
To really appreciate her work, go back and watch the scenes where she doesn't speak. Watch her face when she’s looking at Podrick Payne or Catelyn Stark. That’s where the magic is. It’s in the quiet moments of realization.
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If you want to dive deeper into her process, check out her interviews from the 2015-2017 era. She talks a lot about the intersection of gender and performance. It’s fascinating stuff. You’ll see that the woman behind the armor is just as formidable as the knight herself.
The story of Brienne of Tarth is over, but the impact Gwendoline Christie made on the industry is just getting started. She didn't just play a character; she broke the mold and then used the pieces to build something entirely new.
To follow her current work, keep an eye on her collaborations with high-end fashion houses and her roles in prestige streaming series. She continues to choose projects that challenge perceptions of height, gender, and power. Whether she's playing a principal at a supernatural school or the ruler of Hell, that Brienne-born steel is always visible just beneath the surface. For those looking to understand the technical side of her performance, studying her sword-fighting choreography in Season 4 remains the best example of her dedication to the craft.
Look for the "Making of Game of Thrones" featurettes on Max. They show the behind-the-scenes footage of her training sessions, which are arguably more impressive than the final edited fights. It puts into perspective just how much physical labor went into making Brienne of Tarth a reality.
Key Lessons from Brienne's Journey
- Authenticity over Aesthetics: Gwendoline chose to look real rather than "pretty," which made the character iconic.
- The Power of Silence: Brienne’s best moments often involved no dialogue, proving the strength of physical acting.
- Redefining Femininity: The role showed that strength and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive.
- Professional Persistence: Gwendoline's journey to get the role is a masterclass in advocating for oneself.
Next time you see a character on screen who doesn't fit the "standard" look, remember Gwendoline Christie. She was the one who kicked the door open so others could walk through it.
The most important thing to remember about the Gwendoline Christie Game of Thrones era is that it wasn't just about a TV show. It was about a shift in the cultural zeitgeist. We stopped looking for "strong female leads" and started looking for complicated, messy, brilliant humans.
Take a moment to re-read the chapters in A Song of Ice and Fire featuring Brienne. You’ll find that Gwendoline captured the internal monologue of the character through her expressions alone. It’s a rare feat of acting that deserves all the praise it continues to receive.
If you're a creator, use her casting as a reminder to look outside the traditional "look" for your leads. The most compelling stories often come from the people who have been told they don't belong in the story at all.
As we look back at the legacy of the show, Brienne stands out as one of the few truly "good" characters who survived with her soul intact. That’s a testament to Gwendoline’s portrayal. She made goodness feel powerful, not boring. She made honor feel like a choice, not a burden. And in the world of Westeros, that was the most radical thing of all.