Spoiler Warning: The following article features for spoilers for Game of Thrones, including its final season.
Game of Thrones star Lena Headey wanted a different end for her character Cersei Lannister than the one she received in the show's controversial final season.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Headey was asked if she had a different idea for Cersei's ending and said she wanted a final showdown with Maisie Williams' Arya Stark.
"I’m think all of us did, to be honest, because you start trying to write the story yourself," Headey said. "Maisie and I would fantasize about a Cersei and Arya showdown; that she would come back as Jaime. That was our dream. But they made different choices."
Cersei's end instead saw her crushed under rubble alongside her brother and lover Jaime Lannister, but Headey said she understands why the writers and showrunners didn't write every dream scenario into the final season, which was met with an underwhelming response from fans and critics.
"I think in hindsight, everybody understands that [it was a difficult show to wrap up]," she said. "You’re in it, and you’ve been so invested, there’s a moment of: 'Why?' But I absolutely get it."
Headey also made clear she doesn't miss the show itself, and hasn't kept up with spin-off series House of the Dragon, deeming it "too weird" for her to watch.
"I miss the people — because you fall in love with people, and you create these family units," she said. "So that takes a little while to go though. There’s a weird grief from those relationships. But I don’t miss it. We did it. We put everything into it. It changed everyone’s f**king world, and we’ll always have it."
Co-star Conleth Hill, who played Varys throughout Game of Thrones' 10-year run, has previously expressed more direct criticism of its ending. The actor said he had no issues with the show until its seventh and eight seasons, when writers at HBO surpassed the source material provided by George R.R. Martin.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
