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Lena Headey

Acting

Born October 3, 1973 · Hamilton, Bermuda

Also known as Lena Heady · Lena Kathren Headey

Biography

Lena Kathren Headey (born October 3, 1973) is a British actress. She gained international recognition and acclaim for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister on the HBO epic fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011–2019), for which she received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a Golden Globe Award nomination. Headey made her film debut in the mystery drama Waterland (1992). She continued to work steadily in British and American films and on television, before gaining further recognition with her lead performances in the films The Brothers Grimm (2005) and 300 (2007). Her other film credits include The Remains of the Day (1993), The Jungle Book (1994), Mrs Dalloway (1997), Ripley's Game (2002), Imagine Me & You (2005), Dredd (2012), The Purge (2013), 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), and Fighting with My Family (2019). Outside of film, Headey starred as Sarah Connor in the science fiction television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–2009) and had a recurring role as Amelia Hughes in the animated web series Infinity Train (2019–2021). She provided voices for the role-playing video game Risen (2009) and the video game tie-in film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016), as well as the animated series Danger Mouse (2015–2017) and Trollhunters (2017–2018), and puppet-animated series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019).

Awards & recognition

  • Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series · 2014 · nominated
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series · 2014 · nominated
  • Screen Actors Guild AwardOutstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series · 2012 · nominated
  • MTV Movie AwardBest Breakthrough Performance · 2007 · nominated
  • Saturn AwardBest Supporting Actress · 2007 · nominated

Filmography50+ titles

Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

2016as Morgana

Game of Thrones

2011as Cersei Lannister

Infinity Train

2019as The Conductor / Amelia (voice)

Wizards

2020as Morgana (voice)

White Collar

2009as Sally

SmartLess: On the Road

2023

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance

2019as Maudra Fara (voice)

Imagine Me & You

2005as Luce

Shark Week

1987as Narrator

Unity

2015as Narrator (voice)

RuPaul's Drag Race

2009as Self - Special Guest

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

2008as Sarah Connor

The Remains of the Day

1993as Lizzie

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

2018as Big Mama (voice)

Kavanagh QC

1995as Natasha Jackson

DC League of Super-Pets

2022as Lara (voice)

300

2006as Gorgo

Ballykissangel

1996as Jenny Clark

H Is for Hawk

2025Producer

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch

2019as Self

Running Wild with Bear Grylls

2014as Self

Dredd

2012as Ma-Ma

Merlin

1998as Guinevere

Fighting with My Family

2019as Julia 'Sweet Saraya' Knight

Soldier Soldier

1991as Shenna Bowles

The Gathering Storm

2002as Ava Wigram

The Red Baron

2008as Käthe

Normal

2025as Moira

Masters of the Universe: Revelation

2021as Evil-Lyn (voice)

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

2013as Jocelyn Fray

Ripley's Game

2002as Sarah Trevanny

Aberdeen

2000as Kaisa

Gunpowder Milkshake

2021as Scarlet

Waterland

1992as Young Mary

White House Plumbers

2023as Dorothy Hunt

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2016as Lady Catherine de Bourgh

Danger Mouse

2015as Jeopardy Mouse (voice)

The Purge

2013as Mary Sandin

300: Rise of an Empire

2014as Queen Gorgo

Onegin

1999as Olga

The Hunger

1997as Steph Reynolds

Possession

2002as Blanche Glover

The Jungle Book

1994as Katherine 'Kitty' Brydon

The Clothes in the Wardrobe

1993as Margaret

St. Trinian's

2007as Miss Dickinson

The Brothers Grimm

2005as Angelika

The Abandons

2025as Fiona Nolan

Beacon 23

2023as Aster Calyx

Twist

2021as Sikes

Gossip

2000as Cathy Jones