While the Game of Thrones cast was celebrating the 8th and final season of the hit HBO series in New York City on Wednesday, April 3, there was one castmate visibly absent — Lena Headey.
“Gutted. Heartbroken and f–ked off, still doesn’t cover my disappointment at not being able to travel to NYC for our final prem tonight,” Headey, 45, who plays Cersei Lannister on the show, explained in an emotional Instagram post. “I f–king hate being sick and the timing of this is a sh-t bag.”
The English actress didn’t shy away from sharing her excitement for the premiere, though. “[Season 8] is the tits and so are all my cast mates and crew mates and creators,” Headey added. “So RIDE FORTH INTO THE NIGHT AND CREATE MAYHEM … Love you beauties.”
Headey’s costar Emilia Clarke, who portrays Daenerys Targaryen in the drama, took to the comments section to share her well-wishes. “WE LOVE AND MISS YOU MAMMA,” Clarke, 32, wrote alongside five heart and flame emojis. “You’re here in spirit!!!!!!”
Clarke attended the premiere alongside Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Jason Momoa (Khal Drogo) and Maisie Williams (Arya Stark). The event took place at Radio City Musical Hall where they showed the first episode of the final season.
Clarke, for her part, recently spoke out about two brain aneurysms she suffered during the early seasons of GoT. “I made it to the locker room. I reached the toilet, sank to my knees and proceeded to be violently, voluminously ill,” she recalled in an essay published in The New Yorker last month of the health scare that happened while she was at the gym. “At some level, I knew what was happening — my brain was damaged.”
The Me Before You star explained that after being rushed to the hospital she was diagnosed with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, “a life-threatening type of stroke, caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain.” Clarke underwent a “minimally invasive” type of brain surgery at the time.
After returning to film season 2 of Game of Thrones, Clarke would ultimately undergo another brain surgery that wasn’t successful, leading to a third procedure. Clarke noted that she has since “healed beyond [her] most unreasonable hopes” and continues to help others who have suffered from brain injuries through a foundation called SameYou.
Season 8 of Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 14, at 9 p.m. ET.
