Nathalie Emmanuel

Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel(born 2 March 1989) is an English actress. Emmanuel started her acting career with the theatre in the late 1990s. In the following years she was invited to appear in numerous West End productions including The Lion King. She began her acting career in 2006 , playing Sasha Valentine, a soap opera. Following that she was cast in numerous British TV shows including the sequel Maze Runner. Her mother is Dominican, as is her father, who is half-Saint Lucian and half English descent. Her older brother is also a member of the family. Emmanuel recalled her mother's first notification of her interest in acting and the desire to become an actress when she was a student at St Hilda's School. This school closed in 2014 and it was renamed the Westcliff High School. In an interview for The New York Daily News, she revealed, "When my mom was three, she was always causing drama. So she suggested that I channel that in a proper way, and so I began taking acting, singing, and dancing classes." At the age of 10, she played Young Nala, West End's production of The Lion King. Then she was cast as Missandei in HBO's fantasy series Game of Thrones. She shared with Jimmy Kimmel that she learned about the role in her job as an assistant in a clothing store. Emmanuel was appointed a regular cast member in 2015 following her win the part. Missandei was the only female of color on the show's cast. Her death scene , in which she was in chains was not popular for viewers. Emmanuel later said to The Guardian that the reaction to the death of Missandei was intense due to her being the only one. I believe that many people who felt excluded or marginalized were influenced by Missandei or felt that they were represented by her. It was incredibly difficult for people to let her leave, especially when it happened in the way that she was treated. That's what they're going do the only woman of color.