Nathalie Emmanuel

 Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel was born on March 2, 1989. Emmanuel started her career in acting in the theatre in the latter part of 1990, acquiring roles in various West End productions such as the musical The Lion King. She started her acting career in 2006 on Sasha Valentine, a soap opera. Following that she was cast on numerous British TV shows, including the sequel Maze Runner. Her mother is Dominican. Her father is half Saint Lucian and half English. She has a younger sibling. Emmanuel remembers that her mom was the first person to recognize her interest in acting when she was a student at St Hilda's School. It closed in 2014. The Westcliff High School For Girls Grammar school followed. In an interview with the New York Daily News, she stated, "When my mom was three, she would always be the center of attention, so she suggested that I channel that properly--so I started learning to act, sing, and dance classes." At the age of 10 she was in Young Nala, the West End's production of The Lion King. Then she was chosen to play Missandei in HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones. The actress told Jimmy Kimmel that she heard about her being chosen for the role while she was working as a shop assistant at a clothing store. Emmanuel was made an official cast member on the show in 2015. Missandei was the only major character who was female from a different race in the show, and her funeral scene, which occurred whilst she was in chains, was unpopular among fans because it was seen as an example of fridging and evoking an image of slavery.Emmanuel later told The Guardian: The reaction to the death of Missandei was big because she was the only person. People who felt excluded or marginalized had felt connected to her or believed they were represented by them, specifically women of color. It was difficult for many to watch her go, especially when it was done in the manner that she was treated. That's what they're going treat the sole woman of color.