The former Games of Thrones actor has risen from Hollyoaks to Hollywood, playing the lead in a female-led horror-thriller film.
From dragons to vampires might not be the most tried and tested trajectory, but Nathalie Emmanuel has made it work, playing heroine Evie in new horror-thriller film, The Invitation. The English actor and model, 33, is best known for playing her Games of Thrones character, Missandei, a former slave who serves as Handmaiden and advisor to Daenerys (played by Emilia Clarke). Soap fans will have known her long before: Nathalie’s television career began in Hollyoaks, where she played the character of Sasha Valentine between 2006 and 2010.
GLAMOUR has interviewed Nathalie several times, most recently back in 2020, where she spoke about her secret shyness and how her Games of Thrones role “pulled her out of a slump” in her acting career. Today, she’s on top of the world – energised and enthusiastic about her recent leading role. We discuss her latest film, the mixed blessing of playing the central role in a horror film (and what she does to “come down” after her working day). Plus, Nathalie explores why horror is such a compelling genre to access the difficult themes of racial and social discrimination (she is of Dominican heritage, through her mother, and Saint-Lucian/English heritage through her father), and the “gaslighting” that surrounds it.
You’re most famous for your recurring role on Game of Thrones, where you were very much part of an ensemble cast. What was it like being at the helm, in The Invitation, playing the main character Evie?
It was a welcome challenge to be honest. The responsibility was a whole other level to what I had previously experienced. I felt like I had been building towards it for many years and finally I got the opportunity to lead a movie. I mean, it was tough, for all the reasons you can imagine. I’m pretty much in like almost every scene, and it was a big undertaking to build and map the character across that much material. There’s just so much more work involved, but I was just incredibly excited to have that opportunity, and it’s an experience I hope to continue to keep doing.
Are you a horror fan yourself, in your spare time?
I wouldn’t say I have a hardcore knowledge about the horror genre, but I’ve always enjoyed horror and thriller movies because it’s such an escapist sort of journey that you get to experience. I know it can be gory and scary at times, but there’s something about the not knowing and the trying to work it out. You’re playing detective. I love how [the viewer] is so interactive while watching a horror. You just have to tell yourself: the blood is not real. Once you’re past that part, you can enjoy the experience. It’s like in comedy, you enjoy the landing of a joke and how it makes you laugh. And I think to an extent you can enjoy the pent-up suspense and then the moment of the scare.
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