Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Scarlett O'Toole

Gwendoline Christie admits Wednesday role was first time she felt 'beautiful' on screen

Gwendoline Christie has made the heartbreaking admission that she hadn't felt beautiful on screen until she landed a role in Netflix's Wednesday.

The Game of Thrones star plays Nevermore Academy's principal Larissa Weems in Tim Burton's Addams Family spin-off and says she was given the freedom to make the character her own.

Gwendoline wanted to embody the "classic idea of femininity" and came up with the idea of creating a Hitchcock-style heroine for the show.

The 44-year-old has been incredibly open throughout her career about how she has been bullied and stared at because of her height, which comes in at 6ft 3in.

She was even told she would never be a successful actress because of her unconventional appearance.

Gwendoline stars in Tim Burton's Addams Family series (VLAD CIOPLEA/NETFLIX)

Speaking about her latest role, Gwendoline gave plenty of credit to the hair and makeup department for allowing her to feel pretty.

"It is the first time I've ever felt beautiful on screen.

"I cannot express my extreme gratitude more heartily to Tim and Colleen and our hair and makeup team. Colleen Atwood is rightfully a legend, and what she does is close to witchcraft in terms of transformation," she said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

The actress thanked the hair and makeup teams for their work (Getty Images)
She is well-known for starring as Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones (©2016 Home Box Office, Inc. All)

Gwendoline added that costume designer Colleen was able to emphasise her "strong points" and made her body feel "celebrated and beautiful".

She said she no longer felt like she had "something to hide" or feel embarrassed about and was instead made to feel "incredible".

When creating the role, Gwendoline said she took specific inspiration from icons Tippi Hedren and Kim Novak.

She said she had wanted to "transform" into a character which was very different to her own self and felt excited to work on the project.

Gwendoline helped create her character (VLAD CIOPLEA/NETFLIX)

Wednesday also stars Jenna Ortega as the title character, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley.

The episodic reboot of the popular 1991 franchise is told from Wednesday’s perspective in the present-day setting and follows Wednesday as she is expelled from high school.

She is then sent to Nevermore Academy – a boarding school for outcasts, freaks and monsters – where a "supernaturally infused mystery" ensues.

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct at 0207 29 33033.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.