Hannah Waddingham went into graphic detail in a recent interview with Stephen Colbert on The Late Show about how her onscreen torture in an episode of Game of Thrones has resulted in her suffering from what she refers to as “chronic claustrophobia.” The scene she referred to is known as the infamous wine-boarding scene, in which Hannah Waddingham’s character, Septa Unella, is strapped to a table and waterboarded with wine. The actress talked of how the scene took 10 hours to film, in which she was strapped in so tight that she was unable to even lift her head.

Wineboarding

To add insult to injury, Hannah Waddingham’s blonde hair had turned purple by the end of the shoot as a result of all the wine staining her hair. She also said that by the time the scene was finished filming, her voice was lost from all of her screaming. The claustrophobia, stained hair, and other trauma aside, she didn’t seem to regret her experience.

She told Colbert that she had a conversation with another cast member immediately after the scene was completed about how it’s important to always give your best on the set of Game of Thrones. The Late Show interview wasn’t the first time Hannah Waddingham has discussed her ordeal with wine, either.

The Second Worst Experience Of Her Life

While participating in Collider Ladies Night in 2021, Hannah Waddingham revealed that, aside from childbirth, the wineboarding experience was the worst of her life. Lena Headey, the co-star who poured the wine on Waddingham’s face for 10 hours, was said to be hesitant about performing the scene. At that point, Waddingham said that you have one of two choices to make: you either “serve the piece and get on with it” or “chicken out.”

The Game of Thrones episode’s director, Miguel Sapochnik, asked Hannah Waddingham at the end of the day and asked the actress if she was doing okay. After she replied in the negative, he told her the crew was convinced that the star had just spent her day undergoing true waterboarding.

Lena Headey Is A Nice Person, Cersei Is Not

Headey later said she felt “horrendous” doing that particular scene, as she knew that Hannah Waddingham was actually suffering. But Waddingham points out that when it comes to doing these sorts of scenes, you realize that there are safety measures in place and that no one is going to let you die. This helped motivate her to get through what had to be an excruciating day of filming.

The Fall Guy

Hannah Waddingham co-stars in the upcoming action-comedy The Fall Guy, which is set to premiere in theaters on May 3rd. The film is an adaptation of the 1980s hit television series of the same name that starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas. In the film, Waddingham will be joined on screen by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ryan Gosling, and Emily Blunt.

Award-Winning Comedy Role

Helen Waddingham’s career has risen dramatically over the last decade, with the AppleTV streaming series Ted Lasso helping vault her to stardom among U.S. audiences. For her role as Rebecca Welton, Waddingham was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, for which she won in 2021.