Cersei's Nude Walk of Shame in 'Game of Thrones' Was a Body Double

On the season finale of Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister is subjected to a horrific walk of shame, forced to go through the town completely nude while people hurled insults—and objects—at her. Actress Lena Headey gave an incredible, emotional performance during that scene, but it wasn't just her. Entertainment Weekly spoke with Headey's body double, Rebecca Van Cleave, who was one of 1,000 actresses who applied for the part, and one of seven finalists flown to Belfast, Northern Ireland for auditions.

Headey opted out of the casting process, but director David Nutter said finding the right double was one of the most important parts of the finale. "We needed somebody who could do The Walk of Shame physically, somebody who could match Lena's integrity, intensity, and sensibility," Nutter told the magazine. "The courage of this girl, who's never done anything like this in her life, who understood what was important about this…once I had her I felt like I could accomplish anything."

Headey chose not to go nude herself so she could focus on the emotions of the scene. But she worked closely with Van Cleave to give her insight onto what Cersei was going through. Headey walked through the crowds wearing a beige dress, and then she'd switch off with Van Cleave. "The first time I took off the robe there was all this anticipation building up to it," she said. "But it's such an emotional experience for Cersei, you almost check out of the fact that you're nude. You're so in touch with the scene and what you're going for."

In the end, the special effects team seamlessly put together Headey's head and Van Cleave's body. Van Cleave said it was emotional to watch the scene when it aired. "I had a good little cry afterward," she said. "Lena and I put so much into that scene and to see it all come together was really special."