British actor Gwendoline Christie, who is six-foot-three, says she struggled with breaking into the entertainment industry because of her height. Then she was cast as the formidable warrior Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones and the rest is, as they say, history. Since the blockbuster adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s sprawling fantasy first premiered in 2012, Christie has gone on to become not only an in-demand actor but also model and muse. The star has walked for everyone from Vivenne Westwood to Miu Miu, made designs by Rick Owens and Iris van Herpen her very own on the red carpet, and provided major inspiration to her partner, designer Giles Deacon. In a new “Life in Looks” video for Vogue, Christie tracks her extraordinary rise as a fashion fixture.
Christie kicks off her trip down memory lane with the iconic Brienne. The rough-and-tumble role required Christie to take up extensive strength training and fully embody her physique. “I had to take my hair away. I had to acknowledge my height, my strength, my size, my androgyny, and also my vulnerability,” Christie says. “But I also had to really go down to the gym!”
It did not take too long for the rising star to find her footing on the red carpet. In 2015, she attended the red carpet for Star Wars: The Force Awakens wearing a deconstructed Oscar de la Renta gown designed by Peter Copping. From there, Christie soon established herself as a dynamic model in shows and campaigns for the industry’s top designers. Christie reflects on attending a fitting for Miu Miu that ran into midnight. She was practicing her walk with the brand’s creative director Miuccia Prada. After a few tries, Christie nailed it. “She told me, ‘Now that’s a walk.’”
Most recently, Christie starred in the smash Netflix program Wednesday alongside Jenna Ortega. In the Tim Burton-directed series, Christie plays headmistress Principal Larissa Weems for the school of outcasts (and monsters) that Wednesday attends. She says her and Burton’s approach to the character’s wardrobe was a subversive turn on the archetypal Hitchhock heroine, since, as Christie says, she would not expect to be cast in such a role. “We kept her shoulders strong and these strong collars, so this face was always presented.”
To Christie, her latest lauded and buzzy role feels like the perfect landing point for someone who started out in the industry facing less acceptance and celebration for her physique. “When I was playing Brienne of Tarth, that character was having to overcome a lot of shame regarding the way society treated the character,” she says. “But [Principal Weems] was a character who was bold and assured and proud and presenting herself to the world.”
Filmed at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel London
Director: Bronwen Parker-Rhodes
Director of Photography: Ailsa Aikoa
Editor: Michael Suyeda
Producer: Liv Proctor
Producer, Vogue: Qieara Lesesne
Associate Director, Creative Development, Vogue: Alexandra Gurvitch
Associate Producer, Vogue: Kristen Engelson
Associate Producer: Abi Fleming
Assistant Camera: Joel Spence
Gaffer: Al Rice
Set Designer: Tors Beedles
Audio: Ro Colman
Hair Stylist: Ben Talbott
Makeup Artist: Jenny Coombs
Filmed at: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London
Photos Courtesy of: Annie Leibovitz, Helen Sloan / HBO, Vlad Cioplea / Netflix
Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Production Manager: Kit Fogarty
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier
Assistant Editor: Andy Morell
Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James
Supervising Editor: Kameron Key
Post Production Supervisor: Nick Ascanio
Entertainment Director: Sergio Kletnoy
Director of Content, Production, Vogue: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Programming, Vogue: Linda Gittleson
Executive Producer: Ruhiya Nuruddin
VP, Digital Video English, Vogue: Thespena Guatieri