Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan is having fun at the beach, much to the envy of her friends and social media followers. Whelan, who played Yara Greyjoy on the HBO megahit, shared a very cute picture of herself doing an impressive handstand on the beach, wearing a blue and lilac bathing suit. "Seaside upside," she captioned the post. "Handstand envy Gem š Could never master the art š¤·āāļøš," a fan commented. Here's how she feels about her time on GoT, and taking on high-intensity roles.
Whelan considers herself to be a fit, active person, but draws the line at doing her own stunts. "I think I used to be quite gung ho about it like 'Of course, I'll try anything' whereas now I'm very much appreciative of the help from the stunt doubles," she says. "I'm fit, I love running, I think there are a few I definitely could but it's not my job. There are people properly trained to do all the extreme stuff, I think I'll leave it to themā¦ As I said, it's a necessity and they're expertly trained. I'm not a method actor by any stretch, I leave work at work. There have been some roles that are quite consuming and then a lot to get over but I've never really been at the point where I couldn't shake them off. I'd think I'd be concerned if that was the case."
Whelan enjoys the immersion she gets from period and costume dramas. "For period dramas, the costumes and the words do a lot of the heavy lifting," she says. "When the writing is so good but also so much different than the modern way of speaking, and then these costumes that are perfectly engineered to fit you in this setting, the character feels more natural than anything. I've loved them all for different reasons, they're all a part of me but I do always miss going to Game of Thrones because the rhythm of my year became such as going to Belfast and meeting up with theāwe were like a family, so meeting up with them over there. And Gentleman Jack as well, I was really sorry that didn't go ahead for a third season."
Whelan was thankful to return to Game of Thrones with the support of the team when she had a baby. "I thought I'd be on the shelf for a little while after having the baby, which is fine, but I was very lucky," she says. "It was similar with Game of Thrones, actually. I went back with my daughter and she was six weeks old and they allowed for breastfeedingā¦ That should just be a normal thing ā you have a child and you have to feed it but you're working as well."
Whelan loves swimming in the sea, especially in beautiful Cornwall, UK. "Happiest most beautiful relaxing time with friends in this stunning little place. Thank you so much @portwrinkleholidays for the most extraordinary home for the weekend and the freshest air and the warmest hot tub and the coolest sea swim ā we will be back. Highly recommend for a complete escape and switch off," she captioned an Instagram post.
Whelan is still friends with her Game of Thrones costarsāresearch shows close, ongoing friendships are incredibly beneficial for health. "Alfie [Allen] and Emelia [Clarke] are dear pals and I see Iain Glenn around here because he lives not far from where I live," she says. "It was a long time. We knew each other for a span of about 10 years and it was a familyā¦ I just loved every single momentā¦ it was very, very special."
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