Hannah Waddingham has detailed being strapped down on a wooden table and waterboarded for ten hours on the set of Game Of Thrones.
The actress, 46, who played Septa Unella and was tortured by Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in season six, said: ‘Other than childbirth, it was the worst day of my life.’
Speaking on Collider Ladies Night, Hannah also revealed that her character was originally set to be raped by The Mountain but the storyline was changed.
‘I was beside myself’: Hannah Waddingham has detailed being strapped down on a wooden table and waterboarded for ten hours on the set of Game Of Thrones
Making a very glamorous appearance on a video call, Hannah revealed she was travelling to Belfast for filming when she learnt of the change of plans.
She said: ‘Unella was meant to be raped by The Mountain, and I think they’d had so many complaints about the rape of Sansa that they chose not to go with it.’
The star, who has also appeared in Ted Lasso and Sex Education, then detailed how she first thought the waterboarding addition was a mistake after she was told to she’d need a wetsuit top.
Hannah said: ‘And there I was strapped to a wooden table with proper big straps for ten hours. And definitely, other than childbirth, it was the worst day of my life.
In character: The actress, 46, played Unella, a Septa of the Faith of the Seven and was tortured by Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) in season six
Plot: Hannah’s Septa Unella had tortured Cersei and famously shouted ‘shame’ during Cersei’s walk of atonement to the Red Keep
‘Because Lena (Headey, who played Cersei Lannister) was uncomfortable pouring liquid in my face for that long, and I was beside myself.
‘But in those moments you have to think, do you serve the piece and get on with it or do you chicken out and go, “No, this isn’t what I signed up for, blah, blah, blah?”.’
And detailing how she felt after being waterboarded, Hannah said: ‘I could barely speak because I had been screaming through The Mountain’s hand,
‘So I had no voice at all to barely whisper, bruises already coming up like I had been attacked and I was like, “I’ve basically just been waterboarded for ten hours”.’
Hannah also discussed how the strap had to be tight around her neck to make the scene look real, adding that she wanted to commit to the scene and make authentic.
Tough: Hannah revealed that ‘apart from childbirth’ filming the waterboarding scene was the ‘worst day’ of her life during the video interview
Making it clear that she wanted to go for the scene, Hannah added: ‘The one thing I kept thinking to myself, “The production company aren’t going to let you die, so get on with it, be uncomfortable”.’
Hannah also revealed that the scene has left her with claustrophobia around water and recalled how she got into a ‘terrible panic’ when watching another show which had an actor’s face in water.
She candidly told Collider: ‘I actually went and had a bit of a chat to somebody about it, because it’s quite full-on being waterboarded for ten hours, and then only one minute and 30 seconds can be used on camera.’
MailOnline has contacted HBO for a comment.
Hannah’s Septa Unella had tortured Cersei before the waterboarding scene and famously shouted ‘shame’ during Cersei’s walk of atonement to the Red Keep.
Different: Hannah also revealed that her character was originally set to be raped by The Mountain but the storyline got changed at the last minute
Trusting: Explaining that she wanted to go for the scene, Hannah added: ‘I kept thinking to myself, the production company aren’t going to let you die, so get on with it, be uncomfortable’
Since starring in Game Of Thrones, Hannah has gained even more international recognition with her stellar portray of Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, where she transforms from bitter ex wife to confident club owner in just one season.
However, the stunning actress originally started out in musical theatre landing parts in shows including Kiss Me Kate and Spamalot – which certainly came in useful when she performed memorable rendition of Let It Go at the AFC Richmond karaoke party.
Ahead of her Ted Lasso role, Hannah appeared in several hit West End productions and remained close to London so that she can always be close to her six-year-old daughter, whose name she has not publicly revealed.
Speaking with the Daily Mail, Hannah revealed that her past stage experience was one of the things Jason Sudeikis, who plays Ted, and his team were attracted to when ‘the little girl from Wandsworth Common’ auditioned.
Sizzling star: As well as Game Of Thrones, Hannah has starred in Ted Lasso and Sex Education
Fan favourite: The actress portrays Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso, going from bitter ex wife to confident club owner in just one season (pictured with co-star Jason Sudeikis)
And speaking about her daughter in March, Hannah explained that filming close to home is important to her after her little girl took ‘desperately ill’ when she was filming Krypton in Belfast ‘and I couldn’t get back to her’.
After that incident, she informed her agents in London and LA that ‘I cannot have a moment, ever again, where I can’t get back to my child. She’s my priority’.
She added during the interview that for a long time she thought she couldn’t have children, but then fell pregnant at 39, after going down the ‘Eastern herbal route’.
As for her other famous parts pre-Lasso, Hannah regularly appeared in Netflix hit Sex Education as Jackson Marchetti’s mother, often seen pushing him with his swimming career as its something they can bond over.
And proving she really can do it all, fans may also recognise Hannah from her time on TV show Benidorm as Tonya Dyke, who arrived at the infamous hotel alongside her pot-bellied hubby Clive and their children Tiger and Bianca.
Stunning: The blonde beauty dazzled on the West End before landing TV roles (pictured at the WhatsOnStage Awards in 2019)
In the first series of Ted Lasso, Hannah’s Rebecca- who gets club AFC Richmond in a divorce deal- is humiliated on a regular basis by her verbally abusive former husband Rupert, who enjoys parading his youthful girlfriend, also called Rebecca, in front of her and the tabloids.
Hannah’s first scene involved firing the existing manager of the club so she can make room for the arrival of Ted Lasso, who she’s hired in an act of sabotage against her ex beau’s beloved team.
However over the course of the episodes, viewers saw Rebecca go from actively trying to ruin the club and Ted’s chances to realising that she actually could enjoy her new role as owner if she gave it a chance.
Discussing her role, Hannah previously said: ‘Getting the Ted Lasso role ‘was like the universe going, ‘You’ve done your hard grafting, you’ve done your running around . . . here you go: you can have both.’ ‘
Another hit show: Hannah regularly appeared in Netflix’s Sex Education as Jackson Marchetti’s mother, often seen pushing him with his swimming career as its something they can bond over
Multi-talented! Hannah proved she can master any role as she played Tonya Dyke in Benidorm
Speaking about her character with the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye, Hannah explained Rebecca is ‘aware of her own sexuality, being feminine but being strong’.
But that strength, at least to start with, is largely an act — an ‘ice maiden facade of not a hair out of place; as though she is the boss b****, when actually she is lost’, she said.
Ted Lasso has become a massive hit around the world, leaving fans delighted with its touching comedy and upbeat outlook.
And with two months STILL to go until season two drops on Apple TV, dozens of fans have declared they ‘cannot wait’ to see more of the ‘beautiful’ show, adding that it’s just ‘the pick up’ the world needs after a ‘long’ year.
Jason Sudeikis, 45, leads the cast as the titular character Ted, who has been drafted into AFC Richmond from America, but ends up teaching the team much more about themselves than just new football skills.
Co-stars: Hannah has become good pals with Juno Temple, who plays Keeley, during their work on Ted Lasso
Larking around: Hannah’s Instagram profile is littered with fun behind-the-scenes snaps from filming, including this picture of the cast donning Ted’s iconic moustache
He’s joined by Hannah, who plays the club’s owner Rebecca Welton, as well as Juno Temple as Keeley and Jeremy Swift as Higgins.
Series 1 ended with AFC Richmond being relegated out of the Premier League and Rebecca vowing to keep Ted on as coach for another season despite the loss.
And it wasn’t all about the game. The show also detailed Ted’s decision to put his now ex-wife’s happiness before his own, Hannah starting to move on from her own ex-husband (after some sweet but sneaky help at darts from Ted) and a love triangle between Keeley, Roy Kent [Brett Goldstein] and Jamie Tartt [Phil Dunster].
The show’s creator Bill Lawrence even recently admitted it was like ‘therapy’ to work on Ted Lasso.
Speaking with Deadline, he explained how being part of the series during the ‘dark’ times that recent months have brought in the world has been a blessing.
Appearing alongside Juno Temple, who plays Keeley, he said: ‘It’s been therapeutic to work on… it’s lovely to work on this in such a dark time.’
Business: Speaking about her Ted Lasso character with the Daily Mail, she explained Rebecca is ‘aware of her own sexuality, being feminine but being strong’ (pictured with Jason as Ted)
Ted returns: Jason Sudeikis leads the cast as Ted, who has been drafted into AFC Richmond from America, but teaches the team and much more than just new football skills
Bill also admitted that Ted’s character would be quite confronting to meet in real life but that he’d have to question his own judgements about the happy man.
He continued: ‘If I met Ted Lasso in real life, I’d think it’d be about a week and then this guy would reveal to be a jerk like everybody else.. and a week later if he’s still kind and empathetic then you have to look at yourself.’
Bill also reflected on the origins of the beloved Ted Lasso character and how it was a little tricky selling the idea of a TV show with the character.
Ted Lasso was created after Jason did some improv comedy in Amsterdam and the character was then used in promos by NBC Sports to promote the Premier League.
Jason starred in several clips for NBC as the bombastic manager, always maintaining the idea that Ted would make a good TV show one day, reports Deadline.
Bill explained how this already established character made things harder when they were pitching the show idea as people thought they already knew Ted.
He said: ‘Apple were the only ones that bought this show, and what made it tough was you can watch those old videos of Ted Lasso, but he’s not a guy that’s going to scream and be a rube.
‘It’s going to be kind of a quieter show in some ways, and maybe a more emotionally sophisticated show, and also, it’s going to be less slapstick-y and more about forgiveness and empathy and optimism and stuff’.
Give us more! Ted Lasso, created by Sudeikis, Hunt, Bill Lawrence and Joe Kelly, returns to Apple TV Plus for Season 2 on July 23
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
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