Attractive Lady : Lena Headey
Lena Headey (born 3 October 1973) is an English actress. Headey’s performance in a one-off show when she was 17 caught the attention of a casting agent, who took a photo and asked her to audition and eventually she got a supporting role alongside Jeremy Irons and Ethan Hawke in the 1992 British drama film Waterland and went on to appear with higher-profile actors in major films such as The Remains of the Day (1993), The Jungle Book (1994), Onegin (1999) and Aberdeen (2000). After working steadily as an actress getting small and supporting roles in films throughout the 1990s, she found fame for her lead performances in big-budget films that became well-known like the fantasy film The Brothers Grimm (2005), in which she acted opposite Matt Damon and Heath Ledger, the action period film 300 (2007), portraying the role of Queen Gorgo and the adventure and biographical feature The Red Baron (2008). She is known for playing the starring role Sarah Connor on Fox’s television spin-off of James Cameron’s Terminator film series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008–09). Beginning in 2011, she appeared as Cersei Lannister in HBO’s television series Game of Thrones.
Lena Headey has more than 40 film and television credits to her name, but her first role was on the 1992 BBC television show Clothes in the Wardrobe. Lena has since risen from relative obscurity to become a polished performer. It is her on-screen charm that has captivated numerous audiences and has allowed her to win role after role throughout her career.
Lena has been a crucial character in many films, such as The Remains of the Day (1993), Onegin (1999) and Possession (2002). Her most notable mid-career role was in The Jungle Book, in which she was the leading lady. That performance led to her landing several television roles, including in Devil’s Advocate, Loved Up and Band of Gold. From there, she transitioned back into film with roles in The Grotesque (1995) and Aberdeen (2000), and she appeared with Piper Perabo in both The Cave and Imagine Me & You (2005).
Recent roles include the German film The Red Baron (known in Germany as Der rote Baron), a biographical film of the legendary World War I fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen, in which she appeared alongside Matthias Schweighöfer and Joseph Fiennes. Her character was the love interest Käte Otersdorf, a nurse who may or may not have had a romance with Richthofen (Schweighöfer) in real life. She also appeared as the stuffy Miss Dickinson in the 2007 release of the St. Trinian’s series (for which she received third billing for a relatively minor role). She starred in the Ridley Scott produced Tell-Tale, a film based on the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. The movie went straight to DVD on 25 May 2008. She also starred in the 2008 horror film The Broken.
The film was directed by Academy Award-nominated Sean Ellis. The film was about “a woman who suspects she’s being followed around London by a murderous doppelganger”. The Broken was screened at the midnight portion of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, and generally got average reviews. Some critics praised Headey’s performance, including Kim Koynar of Cinematical who wrote that Headey “largely carries the film, and does so quite ably”.She landed the lead part in another horror film titled Laid to Rest, which was first screened in 2008. However, the film went straight to video on 21 April 2009 and earned mixed reviews. Critic Mark H. Harris for About.com stated that the film “has a great look and boasts an impressive cast,” referring to both Headey and co-star Thomas Dekker. Headey had a part in a short film called The Devil’s Wedding. She provided her voice for an episode of the Cartoon Network TV show The Super Hero Squad Show.
Headey was once engaged to Johnny Cicco, and dated actor Jason Flemyng for nine years. She and Flemyng met during the filming of The Jungle Book, and she has a tattoo of his name in Thai on her arm. She married musician Peter Loughran in May 2007. Headey and Loughran have a son, Wylie Loughran, who was born on 31 March 2010. Headey and Loughran separated in 2011 and she filed for divorce in Los Angeles Superior Court on 20 July 2012.She is close friends with actress Piper Perabo. She is a vegetarian, and has campaigned on behalf of animal rights. She practices boxing and yoga. “I also started Bikram Yoga.” She said in an interview: “A few years ago I used to box in London and that held me in good stead”.Headey has wrapped shooting the first two seasons of the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on the first and second books of the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, where she plays the cruel queen, Cersei Lannister. She had a guest appearance in the hit TV show White Collar in the episode “Taking Account” in which she played the role of Sally. She is nominated for a Scream Award in the category of Best Fantasy Actress.In 2012, she appeared in the 3D action science-fiction film Dredd alongside Karl Urban and Olivia Thirlby. Her character is Madeline Madrigal (Ma-Ma), the leader of a drug dealing gang, and the project’s primary villain. Dredd is a film adaptation of 2000 AD character Judge Dredd. The film was directed by Pete Travis with a script by Alex Garland. In May and June 2012, Lena filmed the fantasy adventure movie Mariah Mundi and the Midas Box throughout South West England, playing the role of Monica, the film is schedule for release in 2013.
