While it’s only been a couple of weeks since TV and other production shutdowns began due to coronavirus fears, a plethora of actors have already come forward to announce that they’ve tested positive for coronavirus. Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were among the first major celebrities to be diagnosed, with Game of Thrones and The Witcher actor Kristofer Hivju joining the growing list. Most recently, another Game of Thrones vet has tested positive for coronavirus. The hits just keep on coming, as Indira Varma recently announced that she has tested positive for coronavirus.
The Game of Thrones alum had been rehearsing for Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull, which was to open in London’s West End theater. As of now, the play has also been shut down in the interim due to fears of spreading the virus. In a post made to Instagram, Varma revealed her coronavirus diagnosis and expressed her disappointment over the suspension of work. In her words:
So sad our and so many other shows around the world have gone dark affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope to be back soon and urge you all (and the govt) to support us when we do. Phoenix/ Seagull rising from the ashes. I’m in bed with it and it’s not nice. Stay safe and healthy and be kind to your fellow people.
While that’s unfortunate news, Indira Varma doesn’t offer any further details. However, quarantining herself to minimize the spread is the best way to go right now. The actress also stars as Safiya on ABC’s midseason drama For Life, but production on the season ended back in January (via Deadline). Considering that it wouldn’t have taken two months to show any symptoms, I’d imagine that Varma didn’t contract coronavirus while working on the show. Hopefully, that means the rest of the cast and crew are also safe.
On Game of Thrones, Indira Varma’s Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes (one of whom was one of her five daughters by Prince Oberyn Martell), attempted to overthrow Dorne’s leadership before joining up with Daenerys Targaryen in Season 8. While Varma is currently stuck at home, she did post a photo that included her Game of Thrones co-star Emilia Clarke alongside several other cast members from The Seagull. We can just pretend Ellaria and Daenerys have reunited once more to bring some levity to these uncertain times. Check out Varma’s post below!
The news of Indira Varma testing positive for coronavirus comes not long after Kristofer Hivju’s announcement. The actor had been filming The Witcher Season 2, though production had shut down before the rest of the staff had learned about Hivju’s diagnosis. The folks at Netflix took extra precautions and in an email assured the cast and crew that they would be deep cleaning and disinfecting the studio where they filmed the show.
We here at CinemaBlend wish nothing but the best to Indira Varma and hope that she stays safe and feels better soon. Fans of the actress can watch For Life every Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our midseason schedule.
