Nathalie Emmanuel

 Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel was born 2 March 1989. Emmanuel began her acting career in theatre in the late 90s. She was involved in roles in West End musicals like The Lion King. She started her acting career in 2006 on Sasha Valentine, a soap opera. In the following years she was a part of several British television series which included the sequel Maze Runner. Her mother is Dominican and her father is of half-Saint Lucian and half English descent. She has an older sister. Emmanuel recalled how her mom was the first person to recognize her talent for acting when she attended St Hilda's School. It closed in 2014. The Westcliff High School For Girls grammar school was the next to follow. In an interview with New York Daily News, she revealed, "When my mom was three, she would always be the center of attention, so she decided maybe I should 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 version of The Lion King. Then, she was cast as Missandei in HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, she confirmed that she was informed about winning the role when she was working at a store selling clothes as an assistant in the shop. Emmanuel was made a regular actor on the show in the year 2015. Missandei was the only prominent person who was a woman of color in the show. And her death scene, which occurred whilst she was in chains was not popular with viewers and was viewed as an example of fridging and evoking the image of slavery.Emmanuel was later quoted by The Guardian: The reaction to her death was massive because she was not the only one. Many people felt disenfranchised or marginalized had felt connected to her, or were perceived by them, particularly women of colour. When she passed away, and in the way that she died, it was very painful for people because they thought, 'Oh, no! They're targeting the only woman of colour.