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I often wonder if actresses have a hard time living down their agreement to appear nude in a scene for television or film. The stakes are even higher for Black women who have been hypersexualized by Europeans since colonialism first became a thing.
According to actress Nathalie Emmanuel, her decision to appear nude in some scenes for “Game of Thrones,” has left other Hollywood creatives with the impression that she will accept any type of role that calls for nudity.
During a recent interview on the podcast Make It Reign with Josh Smith, Emmanuel shared that since her role of Missandei in “Game of Thrones,” people have been approaching her with nude scenes she often feels are gratuitous.
“When I did Game of Thrones, I agreed toward certain nude scenes or nudity within the show. And the perception from other projects, when the role required nudity, that I was just open to do anything because I did it on that one show. But what people didn’t realize is that I agreed to certain terms and certain things for that one particular project and it didn’t necessarily apply for all projects.”
Emmanuel shared that while she has pushed back against these depictions, it hasn’t stopped people from trying to convince her otherwise.
“I’ve had people challenge me and be like, ‘But this part requires that,’ and I said, ‘That’s fine if you require that in a part; I don’t feel comfortable doing that level of nudity. I will do this amount, you know, I can do this, which I think is perfectly necessary for the part.'”
She shared that if these creatives are not able to come to a compromise, she’s not afraid to walk away from a project.
“Well, thank you very much, I appreciate your interest but that’s just not what I feel is necessary for this part and it’s a difference of opinion and differences and that’s fine.’ What I’ve found nine times out of 10, people are much more solutions-based and want to come to a compromise.”
For those of us who watched all seasons of “Game of Thrones,” you may remember that the nudity, the amount of sex scenes and even sexual violence were a point of contention for fans and followers of the series, resulting in several think pieces across the internet.
Apparently, the powers that be and the creatives behind the hit series took notice decreased the nudity and eliminated sexual violence all together in the later seasons.
Still, many argue that the legacy set by the show in its earlier days has affected the trajectory of television for years to come.
You can listen to Emmanuel’s full interview on Make It Rain with Josh Smith below.
