Whether or not you agree that the female characters involved in Game of Thrones appear to be strong or not, Carice Van Houten believes nudity is very much a weapon for Melisandre.
Nudity is undoubtedly a catalyst for debate and discussion among Game of Thrones fans. Some people may argue that constant female nudity and a lack of male nudity is a downside for the show, with others offering a very empowering argument for the way female characters are presented in the story.
Speaking to The Guardian, Van Houten said: “[Nudity] still a taboo, whereas violence is OK. You can see someone’s head shot off and that’s all fine. But a nipple? No. That subject is fascinating to me: how uncomfortable people still are with their own bodies and their own sexuality.”
“I feel like it has been a weapon for a lot of women in the past and men have taken advantage of women’s bodies. It’s true, I think, and therefore probably very painful sometimes to watch.
“It’s not my favourite thing to do – at all. I really don’t like to take my clothes off on a set where everyone’s wearing f*cking North Face jackets. But in Melisandre’s case, it’s definitely a weapon she uses.”
Her Game of Thrones counterpart, Emilia Clarke – who plays Daenerys Targaryen in the show – has also admitted that controversial scenes have empowered her character, but has continued her campaign for nudity equality in the show.
"Evenness of it [nudity] would be good," Van Houten said.
The next episode of Game of Thrones will air live on HBO and Sky Atlantic on Sunday, 5th June.
