I don’t know about you, but the first thing I see whenever I come across a clip or photo or fancam or video of Gwendoline Christie is wife material. And it has been like that ever since she stepped on the scene kicking the living daylights out of Renly Baratheon’s knights in Game of Thrones.
All jokes aside, Gwendoline Christie is, in my very personal opinion, one of the most striking actresses working today, and I’ve enjoyed a lot of her work—especially, it has to be said, on television. So here I am counting down her ten best performances so far, a little handy guide in case you only know Christie as Brienne of Tarth or the face under Captain Phasma’s shiny helmet and would like to catch up on her career.
A couple of disclaimers before we start: While I’ve tried to remain as objective as possible, a bit of my personal taste has of course slipped through. Also, you’ll only find movies and television shows on this list, even though Christie is very much active on the theatre scene, as well—so here’s a little shoutout for the 2019 Bridge Theatre production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream where she plays Titania.
10. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Christie appears briefly in The Hunger Games franchise, it’s true, but then again, I love this franchise so much that I simply have to include it on this list. For those who might not know every single frame of these four movies as I do, Christie stars as the rebel Commander Lyme of District 2. Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss and Liam Hemsworth’s Gale meet her when they are flown into District 2 to help conquer the Nut, a fortress that blocks the revolution’s forces from entering the Capitol.
9. The Personal History of David Copperfield
The Personal History of David Copperfield was directed by Armando Iannucci and released in 2019. Christie stars as Miss Jane Murdstone, the unmarried older sister of Mr. Murdstone, who marries the titular David Copperfield’s mother. Miss Murdstone is incredibly mean to David and encourages his new step-father to be as well, in perfect Charles Dickens style.
8. Top of the Lake: China Girl
A joint United Kingdom-Australia-New Zealand production released in 2017, Top of the Lake: China Girl is the second series after 2013’s Top of the Lake—both created by New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion. Gwendoline Christie stars in all six episodes of this miniseries as a constable of the Sydney Police Force who becomes the partner of the protagonist detective du jour—played by actress Elisabeth Moss—as they investigate the mysterious death of an Asian girl whose body was recovered in Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
7. Our Friend
Our Friend, a biographical drama directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, was released in 2019. Christie stars as Teresa, a hiker that one of the movie’s three leads and the titular “friend”—played by Jason Segel—encounters as he’s backpacking through the Grand Canyon while in a very dark mental state. Teresa actually realizes that he’s not in the best place emotionally and offers him her support, effectively turning him around and preventing potential suicidal behaviors.
6. In Fabric
Directed by Peter Strickland, In Fabric is a 2018 horror comedy that follows a haunted red dress that cycles through a series of owners, of course tormenting each and every one of them. Christie stars as Gwen, the much older girlfriend of the dress owners’ teenage son—a relationship that of course deeply worries her. Christie is an antagonist of sorts, which is always nice to see, plus I have to admit that I adore the dark-adjacent look she has throughout the movie.
5. Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Christie appears in the first two movies of Star Wars’ Sequel Trilogy: The Force Awakens, directed by J. J. Abrams in 2015, and The Last Jedi, directed by Rian Johnson in 2017. She plays the role of Captain Phasma, the commander of the stormtroopers serving the First Order. While Phasma’s role within the story isn’t that large, she strikes an impressive sight on the screen, especially considering that she never takes off her chrome armor. The character was actually reprised throughout a wide array of Star Wars productions, from video games to the animated Star Wars Resistance series—where she was alternately voiced by Christie or actress Ellen Dubin.
4. Wednesday
The first season of the ongoing Netflix take on the iconic character of Wednesday, eldest daughter of the Addams Family, saw Christie star in a very prominent role as Larissa Weems, shapeshifter and principal of Nevermore Academy—the private school for supernatural-adjacent kids where Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday is sent to study after being expelled from her “normal” school. In fact, Principal Weems herself used to be a pupil at Nevermore, where she was roommates with Wednesday’s mother, Morticia. Considering Weems is the principal of a school where the very willful Wednesday doesn’t want to be, the two characters clash more often than not.
3. Flux Gourmet
Flux Gourmet is a black comedy directed by Peter Strickland, which came out in 2022 and actually received a nomination at that same year’s British Independent Film Awards for Best Ensemble Performance. The story follows a trio of experimental artists who move to a remote institution where they can practice their art. Christie stars as Jan Stevens, a mysterious and incredibly wealthy benefactor who owns the institution and is funding the entire artistic project. Just like every other character in Flux Gourmet, Jan Stevens is deeply embroiled in all the vendettas, power struggles, and performances that take place throughout the course of the plot.
2. Game of Thrones
Gwendoline Christie joined the cast of Game of Thrones during the show’s second season back in 2012—and her character is one of the few who makes it to the end alive, which is definitely saying something. She stars as Brienne of Tarth, skilled with a blade and with a sense of honor that most knights could only dream of, a woman who is very much unique in a society such as the Seven Kingdoms. In my humble opinion, Brienne’s entire narrative arc with Jaime Lannister, especially in season three, is some of the best character work that Game of Thrones has ever done—before throwing it all down the drain in that garbage fire of an ending, that is.
1. The Sandman
Few roles are probably as fascinating as that of Lucifer, in whatever form those roles may come. And so, even if it was only for one episode, Christie’s own take on the Morningstar has earned the top spot on my list. She can be found playing a soft-spoken, cherub-haired and absolutely lethal version of Lucifer in The Sandman, the Netflix show based on the comics of the same name created by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics. The main character, Morpheus, descends into Hell to find his stolen possessions and ends up engaging in a battle of wits with Lucifer, a scene that is probably one of the best of the entire show.
(featured image: HBO)
Published: Jan 30, 2024 11:37 am