Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer Talks Body Image and Sex Scenes

by David Denicolo


photo: Jason McDonald
photo: Jason McDonald

English actress Natalie Dormer has a gift for seduction. As Anne Boleyn on The Tudors, she was the medieval minx who transformed Europe. And on the addictive Game of Thrones, the 31-year-old is a shrewd player cloaked in sylphlike innocence. This month she appears in Rush, about European Formula One racing in its 1970s heyday.

Do you like to drive?
"I love to drive. My present to myself from The Tudors was a red Mazda MX5 hard-top convertible. I loved that car, and also what she represented--my first success."

See more:
The 12 Best Eye Creams

Automatic or standard?
"Come on, you're talking to a European. None of this automatic bollocks. You've got to feel the car, feel the gears."

How do you explain the Game of Thrones mania?
"There's the violence and the bloodletting and the honor. And then there's the romance and the sex and the naked bodies. There are the costumes, and the coming-of-age stories for younger viewers. There are gay heroes and straight heroes. There's feminism. And there's dragons and supernatural shit going on. There's magic and CGI for the geeks. There is literally something for everyone."

See more:50 Beauty Products to Try Before You Die

You've done your fair share of nudity. Are those scenes ever a challenge?
"It's always a bit traumatic. Being comfortable with your body is not the same thing as feeling completely at ease doing a sex scene. I'm comfortable with my body, but to do nudity [as part of your job] is sometimes not as easy as you'd like it to be."

What do you do to maintain your figure?
"I'm a massive yoga head. Lots of yoga and lots of running. I do Bikram yoga. I adore it."

More from Allure:
Find the Best Haircut for your Face Shape
Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains
Celebrity Hairstyles That Will Make You Look 10 Years Younger
Like Free Stuff? Get the Best of Allure's Beauty and Fashion Freebies Here