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Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei in the fantasy series "Game of Thrones"
Photo: HBO / imago images / ZUMA Press
As an actress or actor, the roles you take on can have a huge impact on your career path.
Some are only booked for funny films, others are always the bad guys or the eternal supporting role.
Nathalie Emmanuel, who had her breakthrough with "Game of Thrones", now reports on the expectations that her role in the fantasy series triggered in her subsequent projects.
In Josh Smith's “Make it reign” podcast, the 32-year-old said that, among other things, she was expected to act in every required nude scene - only because she was a missandei in “Game of Thrones” in some scenes without clothes was seen.
“The idea was that I would do anything because I did it on this one show,” says Emmanuel.
"What the people did not understand was that I agreed to the exact conditions for this specific project and that this cannot be applied to all projects."
Some would have had no understanding at first.
“There have been times when people really challenged me and said, 'But this role demands it,' and I said, 'That's fine, but I'm not comfortable with this level of nudity, I can do this alternative in terms of the role offer ‹«, says Emmanuel.
However, if a nude scene was insisted on, she has got used to simply saying: "Thank you for your interest, but I don't think that's necessary for the role, we probably have different views." In her experience, however, people are interested in a compromise that both sides were comfortable with in nine out of ten cases.
Your self-confident appearance in such moments is a product of years of work on yourself, according to Emmanuel.
As a young woman in her branch - especially as a black woman - she used to not have such courage.
“As a woman and person of color, I never had the right to be selfish about my own needs.
I always had to give the most and fight for recognition, ”she says.
Among other things, yoga and meditation have helped her take better care of herself and set limits when people ask for something that doesn't feel right.
Of course, she still doesn't always make the right decision, that's life.
Still, a little mindfulness for herself did her good, says Emmanuel.
Because: "In the end, I'm the one who has to live with the consequences of such a decision."
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