Gwendoline Christie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gwendoline Christie
Christie at an event for Game of Thrones in 2019
Born	(1978-10-28) 28 October 1978 (age 46) Worthing, West Sussex, England
Alma mater	Drama Centre London
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2006–present
Partner(s)	Giles Deacon (2014–present)

Gwendoline Christie is an English actress born on October 28, 1978. She is famous for playing Brienne of Tarth in the TV show Game of Thrones (2012–2019). She also played Captain Phasma, a stormtrooper leader, in the movies Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017).

For her role in Game of Thrones, she was nominated for a big award, the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, in 2019. More recently, Christie has appeared in the Netflix shows The Sandman and Wednesday (both from 2022). She also appeared in the Apple TV+ series Severance (2025).

Early Life and Acting Dreams

Gwendoline Christie grew up in a small village near the South Downs in West Sussex, England. She has two older half-brothers. Her mom was a housewife, and her dad worked in sales.

When she was younger, Gwendoline trained to be a gymnast. But after a back injury, she decided to try acting instead. Around 2002, she worked in a clothing shop in Brighton.

Becoming an Actress

After college, she went to Drama Centre London and finished in 2005. People told her she might not get many acting jobs because she was very tall and looked different from most actors. Her agent even wished her "good luck" when she said she wanted to act on screen.

But Gwendoline was inspired by actress Tilda Swinton in the movie Orlando. She realized there might be a place for unique actors like her. This helped her keep going after her dream.

Career Highlights

Early Roles and Stage Work (2006–2011)

Christie performing at the London Palladium in 2009

In 2002, Gwendoline's height caught the eye of photographer Polly Borland. Polly took many photos of Gwendoline between 2002 and 2008. Gwendoline felt these photos helped her accept her body and challenge common ideas about what women should look like.

Gwendoline's acting teacher and friend since drama school has been actor Simon Callow. She performed in many plays, including playing the Queen in Shakespeare's Cymbeline and Lucifer in Doctor Faustus.

Her first screen role was in a short film called The Time Surgeon in 2007. She also appeared in other short films by the same director. In 2009, she had a small part in the movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. She also appeared in a music video for Patrick Wolf.

Joining Game of Thrones (2011–2015)

Christie with her Game of Thrones co-stars Carice van Houten and Liam Cunningham at San Diego Comic-Con in 2015

In 2011, Gwendoline was chosen to play the warrior Brienne of Tarth in the TV series Game of Thrones. Brienne is a very tall, strong, and brave woman. Fans of the books had suggested Gwendoline for the role even before auditions.

Gwendoline said she could use her own experiences of being teased for her height to play Brienne. She was very excited to play the part after reading the A Song of Ice and Fire books. To get ready, she started wearing clothes like Brienne and trained hard. She gained over 14 pounds (6.4 kg) of muscle.

The show's writer, George R. R. Martin, said she got the role easily after an amazing audition. She even came dressed as Brienne! After getting the part, she continued to work out and took lessons in horse riding, sword fighting, and stage combat.

Her first appearance as Brienne was in April 2012. Critics really liked her performance. She was praised for how her movements and posture showed Brienne's strong will. For her role in the third season, she was nominated for a Saturn Award. She was also part of the cast nominated for several Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Besides Game of Thrones, Gwendoline also starred in the British show Wizards vs Aliens from 2012 to 2013. She played Lexi, an alien princess. She also had a small role in the movie The Zero Theorem in 2013.

Star Wars and Other Major Roles (2015–Present)

In 2015, Gwendoline played Commander Lyme in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2. That same year, she also joined the cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. She played Captain Phasma, a leader of the First Order. People liked her performance and the character's look.

Gwendoline Christie at the Calgary Comic Expo in 2015.

In 2017, Gwendoline had a main role in China Girl, the second season of Top of the Lake. She played Miranda Hilmarson, a police officer. The show's co-creator, Jane Campion, wrote the character especially for Gwendoline. In the same year, she played Captain Phasma again in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She also voiced Captain Phasma in three episodes of the animated series Star Wars Resistance in 2018.

In 2018, she appeared in the movie The Darkest Minds as Lady Jane. She also played Gwen in the film In Fabric and Anna in Welcome to Marwen.

Game of Thrones ended in 2019. For her acting in the final season, Gwendoline received her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

In 2021, Gwendoline was cast as Lucifer in the Netflix show The Sandman. In November 2022, she played Principal Larissa Weems in the Netflix series Wednesday.

In January 2024, Gwendoline walked the runway for a fashion show in Paris. In August 2024, it was announced that she would be the narrator for the video game Civilization VII, which was released in February 2025. She also appeared in the second season of the series Severance in 2025.

Personal Life

Gwendoline Christie is 6 feet 3 and a quarter inches (191 cm) tall. Her height caused her to be teased when she was younger.

Since 2014, she has been in a relationship with British fashion designer Giles Deacon.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Theatre Performances

Video Games

Short Films

She also appeared in the music video for "Damaris" by Patrick Wolf in 2009.

Audio Dramas

Awards and Nominations