Why Evil-Lyn From Masters Of The Universe: Revelations Sounds So Familiar
With a highly lucrative toy line and multiple screen adaptations, the "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" franchise is very successful, giving Netflix's "Masters of the Universe: Revelations" a solid, built-in fanbase. Deveoped by comic book man Kevin Smith, the animated series pulls in a lot of talent with familiar faces. In the series, Skeletor (Mark Hamill) once again vies for power in the land of Eternia.
Prince Adam (Chris Wood), and his alter ego He-Man, must defend Castle Grayskull with the help of Teela (Sarah Michelle Gellar). Hamill, in particular, has a long history of voice acting. He is famously the voice of the Joker in "Batman: The Animated Series" and he also lent his voice to the powerful Firelord Ozai in "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
Skeletor's power grab would be nothing without his second-in-command, Evil-Lyn. The character is the only female member of the Evil Warriors and even has a chance to gain power for herself in the ending of "Masters of the Universe: Revelations." While the character is a formidable foe, to be sure, there is a reason why Evil-Lyn's voice sounds familiar. Evil-Lyn is voiced by Lena Headey, a talented actor who has been in many independent films, big franchises, and cultural phenomenons.
She starred in the LGBTQ+ romance Imagine Me & You
With LGBTQ+ rom-coms few and far between at the time, "Imagine Me & You" was significant in 2005. Written and directed by Ol Parker, Lena Headey portrays the main character's romantic interest in a film about questioning sexual identity. In the movie, Rachel (Piper Perabo) marries her childhood sweetheart, Heck (Matthew Goode), and immediately questions the decision. At her own wedding reception, Rachel meets florist Luce (Headey), and the two have an immediate connection. Before meeting Luce, Rachel never questions her sexuality, mainly seeing Heck as her best friend.
A genuine love story, "Imagine Me & You" considers the meaning of love. The more Rachel and Luce get to know each other, the more it is apparent that they are supposed to be together. Heck wants to be the one that makes Rachel happy, but their affection for each other is not like the love that Rachel has for Luce. Like any good rom-com, "Imagine Me & You" has a happy ending. Slash Film considers it to be one of the most underrated rom-coms, celebrating that the movie lets the characters discover what truly makes them happy.
She began a career of period pieces in 300
Epic battle films became prominent in the early aughts, with big-budget juggernauts like "Troy." But one of the most impressive feats is that of "300." Zack Snyder had directed films before, but nothing on the scale of the period war drama. Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel, the film depicts the true story of when 300 Spartans faced off against an entire Persian army. The film mainly focuses on Gerald Butler's King Leonidas, while also showcasing Lena Headey playing a female character for the ages.
Headey portrays Queen Gorgo, Leonidas' wife and a driving force when her husband takes his warriors to battle. Half of the movie centers around Gorgo's attempt to get the council of Sparta to send more men to aid in the battle. Though it is ultimately unsuccessful, Headey demonstrates her great acting ability as Gorgo, a strong, powerful woman living in a time period in which women did not always have a voice. Though Leonidas dies in battle in the film, as the historical figure did in real life (via History), Gorgo goes on to appear in the follow-up film, "300: Rise of an Empire."
She fought the rise of the machines in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Tragically short-lived, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" lasted only two seasons on Fox between 2008 and 2009. Set in the time after "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," Headey plays the titular character, as Sarah tries to get her son John (Thomas Dekker) ready for the coming war against the robots. Traveling forward to the year 2007, the mother-son pair have a little help from an ally Terminator who goes by the name of Cameron (Summer Glau).
In "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles," Headey once again plays a female character with immense depth. "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" pushes Sarah to the forefront, showing all the ways she leads the battle, unlike in the feature films.
Part teen drama and part sci-fi adventure, the show delves deeper into the lore that James Cameron sets up in his films. Despite its popularity with fans and compelling storytelling, "The Sarah Connor Chronicles" could not survive. With low ratings in both Seasons 1 and 2, Fox couldn't justify a third season and canceled the show (via TV Series Finale).
She was a cutthroat villain in Dredd
Lena Headey veers into villain territory in the 2012 film "Dredd." Centering around the Judge Dredd character created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra (via The Guardian), and based on the "Judge Dredd" stories in the comic magazine "2000 A.D.", published by IPC Magazines (via League of Comic Geek), the story revolves around a dystopian future in which crime has become so rampant, that society must depend on the justice of "Judges."
These law enforcers serve as judge, jury, and executioner due to the influx of crime. Taking place during one day, Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) takes on a rookie Judge named Cassandra (Olivia Thirlby), a mutant who has psychic abilities. Their training day takes place in Peach Trees, a city housing project that has been overrun by a drug called slo-mo. The drug kingpin is none other than Ma-Ma (Headey), who is brutal in her attempt to take over the city block.
Headey excels in roles such as these, portraying a heightened villain so outrageous that she is terrifying. The film was well-liked by critics and audiences, earning a 79% on Rotten Tomatoes. Though Ma-Ma meets her demise in "Dredd," there are many stories yet to be told in Mega-City One.
She started a horror franchise in The Purge
Blumhouse's flagship horror franchise has seen many sequels, and even a television series that was unfortunately canceled. But in 2013, "The Purge" was a unique, low-budget horror film, starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey. The film that started it all features the Sandin household, a family that profits off of security systems designed for rich families to wait out the violent national holiday. The Sandins are the epitome of privilege, never having to worry about being "purged" when many poorer communities are hunted.
Headey plays the matriarch, Mary Sandin, who is confronted with her privilege and forced to decide which is more important — her comfort or her family. There are many casualties in the first "Purge" film, but it is nothing in comparison to the sequels. Each film examines how the privileged succeed while the rest are subject to a system stacked against them. Mary survives the night, but many are not so lucky. She must carry on with the knowledge that this way of life kills her husband.
She chose violence as Cersei Lannister
Lena Headey's most iconic role must be the ambitious queen mother Cersei Lannister in "Game of Thrones." The fantasy series proved to be the biggest success for HBO (via Entertainment Weekly), even with the disappointing finale. After the original series ended, HBO greenlit a Targaryen-centered prequel series called "House of the Dragon," which is set to premiere in 2022. But no one can forget Headey's portrayal as the ruthless and vindictive Cersei, whose crimes are too many to count.
In just the first episode of Season 1, Cersei engages in incest and is an accessory to the crime of shoving a child out of a tower. She only gets worse from there, allowing her sociopathic son to brutalize anyone he sees fit, and she eventually blows up the Great Sept of Baelor for her own purposes, killing those inside. Cersei loves power more than anything else, and Headey is arguably the only actor who could portray her. Despite her dark, manipulative nature, Cersei is a complex character, and definitely a fan-favorite. She will always be remembered as the ultimate villain.