From the icy halls of King’s Landing to the gritty streets of a futuristic city, Lena Headey has made a career of playing powerful, complex women. While millions know her as the formidable Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones, her filmography stretches far beyond Westeros. She has starred in epic action films, smart independent dramas, and critically acclaimed series, proving her range time and again. If you only know Headey as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, you are missing out on some of her best work. This list highlights six standout performances that showcase her incredible talent.
Her most recent tv series is The Abandons where she plays Fiona.
From Spartan Queen To Sci-Fi Hero: Headey’s Breakthrough Roles
Headey’s path to stardom was built on roles that demanded strength and resilience. Two projects, in particular, launched her into a new tier of recognition and demonstrated her ability to lead major productions.
Her role as Queen Gorgo in Zack Snyder’s 300 was a major moment. In the stylized epic about the Battle of Thermopylae, Headey’s Gorgo provided the emotional and political backbone in Sparta while King Leonidas fought. She was not merely a queen waiting at home; she was a strategic partner fighting political corruption to secure reinforcements for her husband. Her performance added depth to the film’s spectacle, earning her a Saturn Award nomination. She later reprised the role in the sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire.
Following this, Headey took on one of science fiction’s most iconic characters: Sarah Connor. In Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, she stepped into a role famously played by Linda Hamilton. The series explored Connor’s life between the films Terminator 2 and the hypothetical future war, focusing on her mission to protect her son, John, and prevent the rise of Skynet. Headey brought a unique, weary determination to the part, portraying Sarah as a soldier hardened by trauma but unwavering in her purpose. The show ran for two seasons and 31 episodes, earning a dedicated fanbase and proving Headey could anchor a high-concept series.
“Headey’s gritty performance as Sarah —managing to be smart, resourceful and tough, yet melancholy and vulnerable as well.”
Showcasing Range: Gritty Thrillers And Independent Drama
Away from big-budget battles and robots, Headey has consistently chosen compelling roles in smaller, character-driven projects. These films highlight her versatility and commitment to nuanced storytelling.
In the brutal sci-fi film Dredd, Headey transformed into the villain “Ma-Ma” Madrigal, a former prostitute who rules a 200-story slum tower as a merciless drug lord. With facial scarring and a cold demeanor, her performance was a masterclass in terrifying, quiet control. She is the driving force of the film’s conflict, providing a formidable obstacle for Judge Dredd. The film has since gained a strong cult following, with Headey’s villainous turn being a standout element.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Aberdeen, an early dramatic role that showcased Headey’s raw talent. She plays Kaisa, a successful but emotionally detached London lawyer forced to drive her estranged, alcoholic father from Norway to Scotland. The film is a poignant road trip story about family reconciliation. For her layered performance, Headey won the Silver Iris Award for Best Actress at the Brussels European Film Festival in 2001.
The Defining Role: Cersei Lannister In Game Of Thrones
It is impossible to discuss Lena Headey’s career without dedicating significant attention to her defining role. As Cersei Lannister in HBO’s global phenomenon Game of Thrones, Headey delivered an eight-season performance that became iconic.
Cersei is one of television’s most complex villains: ruthless, cunning, and deeply paranoid, yet motivated by a ferocious, twisted love for her children. Headey masterfully conveyed this complexity, often saying more with a silent glare or a sip of wine than with pages of dialogue. Her portrayal earned widespread critical acclaim and made Cersei a character audiences loved to hate.
The role brought Headey immense recognition and accolade. She was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2017. More notably, she received five consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series from 2014 to 2019 for her work on the show. She appeared in 62 episodes over the show’s run, becoming one of its most central and memorable figures.
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A Modern Chapter: Recent And Upcoming Projects
Since the conclusion of Game of Thrones in 2019, Headey has continued to take on diverse and interesting roles across film and television, showing no signs of slowing down.
In the 2021 Netflix action film Gunpowder Milkshake, Headey joined an ensemble cast of elite female assassins, playing Scarlet, the estranged mother to Karen Gillan’s character Sam. The film is a stylized, neon-drenched thriller full of inventive action sequences, allowing Headey to display a different kind of cool, professional toughness.
On television, she starred in the 2023 HBO limited series White House Plumbers. The political satire dramatizes the Watergate scandal from the perspective of the flawed operatives, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy. Headey played Dorothy Hunt, the wife of Howard Hunt, bringing depth and humanity to a woman dealing with the fallout of her husband’s disastrous crimes.
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