December 23, 2023 | Jennifer Crump

Vengeful Facts About Cersei Lannister


“When you play the game of thrones you win, or you perish. There is no middle ground". —Cersei Lannister

So far, Cersei Lannister has remained alive in both Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, but she’s experienced more than her fair share of grief, pain, and vengeance. Here are a few facts about the life of Game of Thrones’s favorite villain.


1. Sliding Doors

Carice van Houten, who plays Melisandre, was actually initially asked to audition for the role of Cersei in Game of Thrones.

cersei lannister

2. Inseparable

In the books, Cersei is described as looking exactly like her brother Jaime—so much so that they were often able to impersonate one another.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

3. Mother Knows Best

Cersei and Jaime’s incestuous relationship started when they were still children and has been kept a secret (although badly) into their adulthood. Their mother Lady Joanna, however, found out about them and moved Jaime to another part of the castle while posting a guard at Cersei's door. Unfortunately, Joanna soon passed giving birth to Tyrion.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

4. Seeing Double

Both Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) and Lena Headey (Cersei) have played the role of Terminator's Sarah Connor; Headey took the role in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Clarke played Connor in Terminator: Genisys.

Cersei Lannister FactsGetty Images

5. Rejected!

Cersei was turned down by Rhaegar Targaryen. Her father Tywin intended to make an advantageous match, but after he tried to broker a marriage, the Lannisters went home empty-ended. Rhaegar married Elia Martel instead.

Game of Thrones Characters FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

6. Twice Burned

Although Cersei eventually married King Robert Baratheon, Robert was still in love with Lyanna Stark and agreed to the match for political reasons. He even called Cersei "Lyanna" on their wedding night.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

 

7. All My Children

Depending on whether or not your follow the books or the series, Cersei's first-born (and only) child of Robert Baratheon was either aborted before birth (the novels) or passed of a fever (the TV series).

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

8. Lancaster versus Lannister

Author George R.R. Martin admits to taking inspiration for the books from the Battle of the Roses, an epic 15th century struggle for control of the English throne fought by the houses of York and Lancaster. Cersei herself has a lot in common with Margaret of Anjou: Margaret took control of the throne from her unfit husband and her children were rumoured to be illegitimate. She also lost both of her sons to a violent end. Cersei also bears a striking resemblance to Elizabeth Woodville, a well-known plotter of royal intrigue.

Cersei Lannister Facts

9. Walk of Shame

Cersei’s undressed “Walk of Atonement” was inspired by a real-life event. In the late 15th century, Jane Shore was accused of sorcery and witchcraft. After the passing of King Edward IV, the new king, Richard III, accused Shore (who was Edward's mistress) of causing Edward to "waste and wither"; we know today the king was suffering from scoliosis. There wasn't enough evidence to prove the case, and instead Shore was convicted of immorality and forced to walk barefoot, clothed only in undergarments, through the city.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

10. Killer Instincts

Cersei’s violent tendencies started early in life. It is implied that she ended her friend Melara Hetherspoon by pushing her down a well when they were both only children.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

11. Little Brother

The witch Maggy the Frog predicted that Cersei would lose her life at the hands of a valonqar (High Valerian for "little brother"). As a result, Cersei has long believed that Tyrion will end her. Nonetheless, her twin Jaime is also technically her little brother; he was born after Cersei.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

12. BFFS

In real life, Headey and Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) are friends; they worked together on Ultra (2006) and Pete Smalls is De*d (2010). Dinklage even recommended Headey to Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff.

Cersei Lannister FactsGetty Images

 

13. Classic Narcissist

We might think she has psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies, one psychologist has “diagnosed” Cersei as a narcissist. And her “caring” for her brother and her children? It isn’t real love; she simply sees them as extensions of herself.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

14. Backhanded Compliment

Cersei was ranked number one in the "30 Best Game of Thrones Villains" by Rolling Stone. The magazine called her, “the most dangerous human being in Westeros". There is no question that Cersei is very good at being bad.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

15. Boy Power

When Jaime and Cersei were children, Cersei would frequently pretend to be her brother so she could practice swordplay, and she frequently laments the restrictions placed on her because she was a woman. Robert Baratheon factsGame of Thrones, HBO

16. No Retreat, No Surrender

Believing the Battle of Blackwater lost, Cersei coldly prepares to administer of vial of the poison nightshade to Tommen. To be fair, she planned to take it herself as well.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

17. Tension on the Set

Headey and Jerome Flynn (who plays Bronn) dated once and it ended badly. In fact, the crew makes a decided effort to keep the two apart during filming.

Lena Headey factsGetty Images

18. Royal Feud

Cersei is no fan of Daenerys. Of course, they are both battling for the Iron Throne, but there are far more personal reasons for Cersei to hate the Mother of Dragons. Maggy the Frogg prophesied that Cersei would be forced from the Iron Throne by a queen who is both younger and more beautiful. Sound like anyone we know?

Daenerys Targaryen FactsGame of Thrones; HBO

19. She’s a popular character

As of season 7, episode 5, Cersei has appeared in 57 of 65 episodes. The only character to appear in more episodes is her brother, Tyrion Lannister.

Littlefinger factsGame of Thrones, HBO

20. Name Game

Most women in Westeros take their husband’s surname. The only exception to this is the house currently holding the Iron Throne: those surnames can only be inherited by birth and not claimed by a marriage. As a result, Cersei was not allowed to take the name Baratheon. She probably didn’t object.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones,  HBO

21. Her Lions

Women of the noble houses in the world of Westerns often wear something related to their house’s sigil. This is why Cersei is often shown wearing jewelry with images of lions, the sigil of House Lannister.

Cersei Lannister FactsGame of Thrones, HBO

22. I'm Number One?

Cersei is one of the most hated characters on Game of Thrones. Lena Headey, the actress who plays Cersei, says that the hatred often spills into real life, and fans will call her names and shun her in public. At one autograph session with the rest of the cast, Headey claims she had books snatched out of her hands by fans who didn’t want her touching the tomes.

Cersei Lannister FactsGetty Images

 

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10


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