Gwendoline Christie generated a massive fanbase when she played one of the most badass women on television in Game of Thrones. Its characters like Brienne of Tarth proved that Game of Thrones was good for women because they were able to see themselves in many different roles, including seeing a female knight fight dirty with a sword. But, it wasn’t the type of role where the 6’3” actress was able to present her femininity. With her new role in the Netflix series Wednesday, Christie spoke about how Alfred Hitchcock helped influence her new character and allowed her to feel beautiful for the first time on-screen.
Imagine getting a role request from Tim Burton, whose best movies included Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Batman movies, to join The Addams Family TV show Wednesday. According to an interview with EW, this was an opportunity that Christie was excited to take, and she described it her time on the Netflix series, saying:
It is the first time I've ever felt beautiful on screen. I cannot express my extreme gratitude more heartily to Tim and Colleen and our hair and makeup team. Colleen Atwood is rightfully a legend, and what she does is close to witchcraft in terms of transformation. It is an honor of my life to work with Colleen and to work with Tim.
She thanked Burton as well as her hair and makeup team for the transformation. Her favorite part about playing the role of Principal Larissa Weems in Wednesday was Burton giving her creative freedom to do whatever she wanted with the character. She had to be loyal to George R.R. Martin’s character while playing Brienne of Tarth, but getting to play this original character meant she could have a lot of creative fun with it.
Just like how Brienne of Tarth was considered an outcast in Game of Thrones, Wednesday’s Larissa Weems, the principal of Wednesday Addams’ school Nevermore Academy, was no different in the mind of Christie. The idea came to the English actress that her character was an outcast when she was a student at Nevermore Academy. She was always in the shadow of Morticia Addams. With Principal Weems now being in a position to protect a school full of outcasts like herself, the actress made a connection to and was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock. Luckily, Burton and costume designer Colleen Atwood couldn’t agree more.
Christie elaborated on why she was inspired by Hitchcock's films, talking about their "poise" and "elegance." She also said:
Women in those movies would hold themselves with confidence and grace.
With Gwendoline Christie’s bleach blonde hair wrapped up in that French twist wearing her fashionable coats, you can’t help but think of the leading ladies seen in Alfred Hitchcock movies. Hitchcock would mold these female characters into what he would define as the perfect woman. From their hair to their dresses, these women who starred his classic thrillers like The Birds and Vertigo were beautiful blonde bombshells. The Star Wars Resistance actress wanted to present this quality to her character in showcasing to audiences “the classic idea of femininity.” But at the same time, Christie would do something different with the Alfred Hitchcock influences of Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren in having Principal Weems be a character in charge of her own fate instead of letting the central characters define that.
In order to prepare for the role of Principal Weems, Gwendoline Christie of course took it upon herself to watch movies by the “Master of Suspense” director. This was where she was able to create her character’s poise, elegance, and stance. With all of these elements and the help of working with Atwood, Christie felt “incredible” with the ability to celebrate her body and feel beautiful. It was a great collaboration between the two women, in that the 44-year-old actress gave Atwood her input into her character’s look which was welcomed and praised by the award-winning costume designer.
Gwendoline Christie’s beauty has shined in every role she’s played in, and audiences can look at this talented actress and know she’s a force to be reckoned with no matter what she's wearing. I’m very proud that Wednesday gave her the beautiful moment she wanted. You can gaze at Christie's beauty as you watch Wednesday on your Netflix subscription.
