Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei) talks fans through the emotional experience of having her iconic long hair cut short.
Nathalie Emmanuel played Missandei of Naath on Game of Thrones for six whole seasons. Emmanuel shone in the role; as Daenerys Targaryen’s most trusted advisor, it was clear she was talented, intelligent, and graceful. And the fact that she had a beautiful head of hair didn’t hurt.
Back in March, Emmanuel stepped out at the 2022 BAFTA Awards sporting a much tighter crop of hair. Now, she’s taken to Instagram to share the emotional video of her getting her hair cut, walking us through what she’s feeling along the way. Watch below:
Emmanuel explains that she always felt “a real empowerment that’s come with my hair,” and that took pride in people telling her that “I went natural because of you.” At the same time, she’d wanted to cut her hair for a long time, but couldn’t because, as an actor, her employers had an interest in her hair looking one way or another, so it stayed long. “[S]o this is the first time in 33 years I’ve made a decision for my hair that’s completely my own,” she said after blinking back tears.
Also, the fact that she wrote a letter to her hair is alarmingly adorable. “[B]ecause I’m dramatic but it was really cathartic.” What she wrote in the subtitle to the video is also worth mentioning:
I wanted to share this for those who have experienced any kind of feelings of othering or hair discrimination and then had a long, tough journey to self acceptance or feelings of having no autonomy over yourself… or… worrying about not fitting certain beauty standards…
The results speak for themselves:
Emmanuel will feature in in the next two Fast & Furious movies, the final ones in the franchise, as Ramsey. We’ll see her new do in action then.
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