'Game of Thrones' alum Gemma Whelan says 'intimate scenes in show lacked direction'

HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones attracted record viewership and a wide international fan base and also was known for having some of television's most intimate scenes during its eight-year run. According to actor Gemma Whelan, who played the role of Yara Greyjoy in the series revealed that the intimate scenes, many of which were complex, came with little direction.

GoT actor Gemma Whelan on the intimate scenes in the show

Gemma Whelan in an interview with The Guardian opened up about shooting the intimate scenes in Game of Thrones without the support of an intimacy director to help choreograph or set the scene. She said, "They used to just say, 'When we shout action, go for it!', and it could be a sort of frenzied mess," She added that the absence of direction and consent during the scenes led the actors to bond and look out for each other.

She added, "There was a scene in a brothel with a woman and she was so exposed that we talked together about where the camera would be and what she was happy with. A director might say, 'Bit of boob biting, then slap her bum and go!,' but I'd always talk it through with the other actor." 

Whelan had previously spoken about her infamous horse-riding intimate scene that stirred controversy on The Graham Norton Show and said that it was her audition scene for GoT.  "I had to do it on a chair, looking straight ahead, very very dramatically with this one casting director in the room and this very ashamed cameraman," she said. 

More about Game Of Thrones

Game of Thrones is a fantasy drama series and is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin. The series was praised by the critics, however, the final season received significant critical backlash for its reduced length and creative decisions, with many considering it a disappointing conclusion. The series received 59 Primetime Emmy Awards, the most by a drama series, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Image: Instagram/@gemwhelan