The Good Karma Hospital star has opened up about filming her difficult final Game of Thrones scene in an unearthed interview. The Game of Thrones actress played Daenerys Targaryen’s handmaid, Irri, who was murdered in season two of the show by another handmaid, Doreah (played by Roxanne McKee).
The actress explained that, to make the scene appear realistic, she suggested that Roxanne didn’t hold back.
The scene was cut from the final edit and her character’s death took place off-screen.
However, the intense filming process resulted in large bruising on her neck appearing the following day.
She told the Independent in 2017: “I think it’s hard to be strangled on screen because to make it look real, you really have to be a bit strangled,” she said.
“I said to Roxanne, ‘Just go for it’.”
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Fans were disappointed that Acharia’s character died, especially when she is alive and well in the novels by George R.R. Martin.
In the novels, which the show was based on, Irri’s character appears for a much longer run.
However, Acharia is happy with her time on the show.
“She doesn’t die in the books and she does in the series, but I had two seasons which I think is a pretty good run,” said Acharia.
“It was the year I came out of drama school in London, so it was a great lesson in acting and working on screen.”
At the time, she also opened up to Express.co.uk: “Yeah, but I go, ‘It’s an adaptation,’ so it can’t fit everything in.
“You can’t please everyone and you can’t really complain, Game of Thrones has amazing storylines, amazing characters, awesome actors and dragons, so you’re kind of winning.”
Acharia also plays British-Asian NHS junior doctor Ruby Walker in the ITV series, The Good Karma Hospital.
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In the series, following a break-up, her character decides to move to South India to work in a public hospital.
She admitted that returning to the show was “quite daunting”.
“Because obviously I hadn’t sort of lived in her, so to speak, for three years, I think since we last shot.
“But you sort of find her where I think you find a lot of strong-willed, stubborn women at the end of a breakup, which wasn’t instigated by them.
“Which is probably in a bit of denial, and wanting to punch something. So it was really lovely actually to explore a different side to Ruby and really sort of hone in on all her flaws.
“Not getting it right and messing up big time and really dealing with the consequences of her actions, you know, and having to face the fact that she’s really not okay.
“She really doesn’t know what to do about it or who to turn to or what to do and throwing herself into work is kind of frustrating.
“Even more so, it was a really interesting place to explore because I don’t think she’s really seen that side to her.”
Acharia will be a guest on James Martin’s Saturday Morning on ITV today.
