The scene was changed at the last minute so she didn't know exactly what she was in for.
Actress Hannah Waddingham, recognized for her role in Game of Thrones, recently revealed that she still suffers from chronic claustrophobia as a result of a torture scene she filmed for the acclaimed series. During an interview on The Late Show, the actress shared details about her experience on set, describing the scene as "horrible."
In the scene in question, Waddingham plays Unella, a fervent religious follower who is subjected to torture by the character of Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey. The actress recounted how she was tied to a table with leather straps for ten hours, unable to lift her head, which triggered her chronic claustrophobia.
The scene, which marked the close of Waddingham's participation in the series, showed her character being subjected to waterboarding, a torture method that simulates the sensation of drowning by pouring water over the victim's face. Although it was fiction, the actress stated that the experience was traumatic and seemed like a real attack.
In previous statements on the YouTube channel "Collider Ladies Night" in 2021, Waddingham had mentioned that the day of filming that scene was the worst day of her life, even worse than the day of her delivery. Despite her difficulties, the actress faced a moral dilemma during filming: continue with the scene or abandon it due to her distress.
Additionally, she revealed that her character was originally going to be abused by another character named "The Mountain", but due to criticism over the depiction of Sansa's rape in previous seasons, they decided to change the script at the last minute.
