BAZAAR PROMOTION FOR PORSCHE
The actress Gwendoline Christie is renowned for playing fierce, subversive women. Here, she tells Robyn Munson about the support network that has helped fuel her success
‘I’VE NEVER REALLY FELT CONVENTIONAL. I’m naturally drawn to misfits, to outsiders,’ Gwendoline Christie tells Harper’s Bazaar. Today, we’re on set with the Emmynominated actress, who has been widely celebrated for her portrayal of complex, multi-faceted and non-conformist women, from the stern matriarch Jan Stevens in Flux Gourmet to the formidable Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. ‘As an artist, I’ve always been interested in what exists in the margins – the untold stories. It’s where I feel most at home.’
Christie has seen her fame grow exponentially in recent years, following major roles in Netflix’s Wednesday and The Sandman. While her talent and magnetism are undeniable – she’s articulate, charming and possesses a thunderous laugh – we’re meeting with the actress to explore the notion that behind every successful individual, there is a team of supporters helping to raise them up, drive them forward and unlock their full potential. ‘That love you feel from your friends, and for the people who go out of their way to help you, can be transformative,’ she says.
Bazaar joins Christie as she embarks on a journey with Porsche to illustrate how, together, we can go further – a concept that she and the luxury-car brand believe in passionately. Along the way, we’re meeting three talented creatives who have played a significant role in the actress’s life, both personally and professionally.
THE COLOURIST
Christie met the celebrity colourist Josh Wood in 2018, after filming her final scenes for Game of Thrones. ‘Gwendoline’s hair was very short and very bleached,’ recalls Wood. After seven years playing a character synonymous with androgyny, Christie sought a transformation that would enable her to reconnect with her femininity, so the pair worked together to give her the look she’d been coveting for years – soft, long and pale platinum. ‘I wanted hair that felt more authentically “me”.’
At 6’3”, Christie has spoken openly about her struggles with being accepted as an actress. While Wood praises Christie’s ‘wicked sense of humour’, she says her relationship with him has been more than just physically transformative. ‘Josh is an
