Nathalie Emmanuel

 Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel (born 2 March 1989), is an English actress. Emmanuel began her acting career performing in theatre in late 1990s. Later she was invited to appear in a variety of West End productions including The Lion King. She started her acting career in 2006 on Sasha Valentine, a soap opera. Following that she was a part of numerous British TV shows which included the sequel Maze Runner. Her mother is Dominican as is her father, who is of half-Saint Lucian and half English descent. She has a younger sibling. Emmanuel remembers her mother's first notice of her passion for acting and her desire to become an actress when she was a student at St Hilda's School. This school was closed in 2014 and changed into Westcliff High School. In an interview with The New York Daily News, she said, "When my mom was three, she was always causing drama. So she thought maybe I should channel that properly--so I started taking singing, acting, and dancing classes." At 10 years old she was cast as Young Nala in the West End's version of The Lion King. Then she was chosen to play Missandei in HBO's fantasy-based drama series Game of Thrones. She explained to Jimmy Kimmel that she learned about the character when she was working as an assistant in a clothing shop. Emmanuel was named a regular cast member in 2015 following her win the role. Missandei was the only woman of color in the show's cast. Her death scene when she was in chains was not well-liked with viewers. Emmanuel later said to The Guardian that the reaction to the death of Missandei was so powerful because she was the one. I'm sure that many who felt excluded or marginalized felt a connection with Missandei, or felt represented in her. When she passed away - and the way she died - it was a traumatic experience for the people who mourned her because they thought, "Oh, no! They're pursuing the sole woman of color.