The second big role of season 2 of Game of Thrones has been cast: actress and model Gwendoline Christie has been cast as Brienne, the Warrior Maid of Tarth, according to author George R.R. Martin's blog.
Though I had always imagined the role would be a difficult one to fill, Martin claimed that there was "hardly any debate" about who should play Brienne. "The day the first batch of auditions went up for the role, we looked at a dozen actresses who were reading for Brienne and one actress who WAS Brienne," Martin wrote. "Gwendoline gave a great reading, and her look was just perfect. No, when she auditioned, she did not look she does in the photo [at the right]. She came in looking... well, like Brienne."
The role calls for a relatively ugly woman, muscularly built, who is mocked as "Brienne the Beauty." She rebels against the gender roles in her society, and is one of the most loyal knights of the newly crowned King Renly Baratheon (Gethin Anthony). She even becomes part of his rainbow guard (yes, the gay Renly has a 'rainbow guard'). Consequently, she's one of the most interesting characters in the series, and will have a major role in subsequent seasons of the series.
Christie is a relatively unknown actress. IMDb has only one role cited for her: a background part in Terry Gilliam's 2009 fantasy film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. She's 6'3'', the perfect height for Brienne, and has appeared in multiple stage productions, including a lauded performance as Lucifer in Doctor Faustus.
Despite her relatively little-known persona, Christie has been a casting pick of many Game of Thrones fans since at least January. Had I had an opportunity to do a casting picks article for Brienne, she would probably have been my choice.
You can follow Christie on Twitter (@lovegwendoline).
"Gwendoline will be a great Brienne," Martin concluded. "It's a thrill to have her join the cast."
Game of Thrones will return for its second season in Spring 2012 on HBO.
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