Lena Headey Reveals Her Dream Game Of Thrones Ending (Which Never Happened)
Did you envision a different finale for "Game of Thrones"? So did star Lena Headey, who wanted a much better ending for her game-changing villain Cersei Lannister. When the show ended back in May of 2019, Cersei and her twin brother (and lover), Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), met a pretty abrupt end, crushed to death by the Red Keep of King's Landing as it fell in a siege. Headey was asked about what she'd hoped to see for Cersei's ending in October of this year while promoting other projects, and she was fairly forthcoming about the fact that she hoped a popular "Game of Thrones" fan theory would come to fruition.
When The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd — who also penned the "Game of Thrones" oral history "Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon" — asked Headey if she wanted a more action-packed ending for Cersei, Headey said she definitely did. "[I] think all of us did, to be honest, because you start trying to write the story yourself," Heady admitted. "And [Arya Stark actress Maisie Williams] and I would fantasize about a Cersei and Arya showdown, that she would come back as Jaime. That was our dream. But they made different choices."
Ultimately, though, both Hibberd and Heady acknowledged that the showrunners had to wrap up quite a lot of storylines in short order. "I think in hindsight, everybody understands that," Headey agreed. "You're in it, and you've been so invested, there's a moment of, 'Why?' But I absolutely get it."
Here's what Lena Headey means when she talks about Cersei, Arya, and Jaime
So what does Maisie Williams' Arya Stark have to do with a better ending for Cersei Lannister? In case you've largely forgotten about all of those "Game of Thrones" theories the show left by the wayside, there's a big one concerning the "valonqar" — and it has huge implications for Arya, Jaime, and Cersei.
In both George R.R. Martin's original series, "A Song of Ice and Fire," and the show created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, a young Cersei receives a troubling prophecy about the future of her family from a witch ... but the show leaves out the bit about the valonqar, or little brother, and the threat he can pose to Cersei herself. Cersei, who already hates her younger brother Tyrion (Peter Dinklage), assumes the prophecy is about him, but Jaime, Cersei's twin, is just a few moments younger than she is.
Then there's Arya, who spends a decent chunk of both the books and the show learning how to become an assassin with the ability to swap faces. The theory Lena Headey was referencing here is definitely a popular one — namely, that Arya will kill Jaime, steal his face, and kill Cersei. This would "complete" the prophecy as well as Arya's famous "kill list" — which includes Cersei — but as we all know, it doesn't happen.
No, Lena Headey has not watched House of the Dragon
Lena Headey might have a different ending for Cersei Lannister in mind, but one thing is for sure — she hasn't watched the "Game of Thrones" prequel and spin-off "House of the Dragon," and she's not planning to. When James Hibberd asked if she intended to sit down and binge the show's 1st season, Headey was brief and direct: "Nah."
"Would that be too weird for you to watch?" Hibberd asked, to which Headey responded, "Too weird. Yeah." This definitely makes sense; Headey's co-star and on-screen nemesis Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, also said it would just be way too strange for her to watch "House of the Dragon." The series tells the story of the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, when the family squabbled over the Iron Throne, years before the War of the Five Kings depicted in "Game of Thrones" ... and years before Cersei Lannister was ever a major power player.
"Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon" are both streaming now on Max, and Headey's new film, "The Trap," which marks her directorial debut, recently premiered at the Austin Film Festival.