You probably know her as Cersei Lannister, but English actress Lena Headey had a successful career long before she starred on HBO’s Game of Thrones. While it’s true that the epic series makes up the bulk of what Lena Headey is worth, it’s not the only thing that has filled her bank account. Check out her net worth after decades of experience in television and film.
What is Lena Headey most famous for?
Headey was born and raised in England, but she was originally from Bermuda. According to Yorkshire Live, she was discovered by a casting agent at age 17 while appearing in a school production at London’s Royal National Theatre. It was the beginning of a professional acting journey that has lasted less than 30 years.
Movies
Headey’s on-screen debut was in the 1992 British mystery Waterland, starring Jeremy Irons and directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal (father of actor Jake and Maggie). The following year, she had a small part in Remains of the Day, a drama that received eight Oscar nominations.
By 2005, she took a bigger role starring alongside Matt Damon and Heath Ledger in The Brothers Grimm. Other popular movies she’s starred in include The Purge (2013) with Ethan Hawke and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016).
Her most well-known film role was playing Queen Gorgo in Zack Synder’s 300. Maybe it was her portrayal of strong female leaders that led to the TV role of her dreams.
TV Shows
In 2011, Headey was cast as Queen Cersei Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones. Fans loved to hate her ruthlessness, but Headey told Time in 2017 that she wanted to create a character that was more complex than cruel.
“I love playing Cersei,” She added. “I’m very intrigued to see what happens to her! She’s so layered, endlessly. Every time you think you know her, there’s another depth of insecurity or fury or resentment or drive or grief.”
She continued, “I’ve always really fought for her, especially early on, because she had seemed just to be a self-serving manipulator. As we’ve grown to know her a bit more, we see that she’s a woman surviving in a really s–tty world desperate to be heard, saying something seven times when a man says it once.”
But Headey’s television career has actually begun years earlier on the British crime drama series Band of Gold. In 2008, she played the lead in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The Fox series, which was based on the Terminator film series, received generally positive reviews. After the second season, however, it was canceled.
Headey’s post-Game of Thrones life includes voice acting for two animated series: Infinity Train (2019-2021) and Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation (2021).
For those who might be surprised to see Headey jump from Game of Thrones to a Netflix cartoon, the movie isn’t as weird as you’d think.
“You would get people like Lena Headey, [who] was like, ‘I watched this as a child,’” Smith said at a press event (via CheatSheet). “I’m like, ‘What?’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, man, I always loved Evil-Lyn. It’s a trip that you’re asking me to play Evil-Lyn.’ But she did it in a British voice that sounded way better.”
Her Accolades
Headey was nominated for multiple awards for her roles in 300 and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. However, playing Cersei on Game of Thrones was the most rewarding job in terms of accolades.
Between 2011 and 2019, she received six Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, five Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film.
Victories include an Entertainment Weekly EWwy Award, a Women’s Image Network Award, and a British Empire Award.
How Much Did Lena Headey Make per Episode of Game Of Thrones?
Lena Headey’s Game of Thrones salary steadily increased with each season. According to a 2017 report from Variety, Headey and her co-stars Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage, and Kit Harington each made an estimated $500,000 per episode.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that by the final season, their paychecks more than doubled to an average of $1.2 million an episode. This is a significant increase over the $150,000 they were paid in previous seasons.
Fox News broke down Headey’s screen time for Season 8 and determined that she earned $144,000 per minute for a total of 25 minutes.
In 2012, She Had Less Than $5 In Her Bank Account
Despite Headey’s lucrative role, a failed marriage temporarily left her in dire straits.
According to TMZ, Headey filed for divorce from Peter Loughran in L.A. County Superior Court in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. Wylie was born to the couple, who were married in 2007.
By the following year, a report by the same outlet revealed that the couple was fighting over a $46,000 tax refund from 2011. Loughran demanded half the amount, but Headey filed a legal response claiming she had “less than $5 in her bank account” and was living off of credit cards. She stated that she needed $6,000 to cover her living expenses.
Headey requested the court to give her ex an equal amount of $6,000 and to block the remaining tax return until the divorce was finalized. The judge in the case refused her request.
Headey insisted Wylie should be educated in England and not the United States. The result was a bitter struggle over Wylie’s custody. In 2016, a judge ruled that she was in violation of a custody agreement and ordered that Wylie be returned to the U.S.
As the custody battle raged on, Loughran tried to use Headey’s GOT fame against her. In 2016, he asked a judge to order that his ex-wife pay $40,000 to cover his legal fees.
Headey, who seemed to be on the cusp of bankruptcy, had already paid $20,000 fees in accordance with an earlier court order. Loughran also received $9,000 per month of child support.
By 2018, the Daily Mail reported that Loughran had resorted to becoming a street musician in Leeds, England. To help Loughran with his expenses, concerned friends set up a GoFundMe page.
What Is Lena Headey’s Net Worth?
According to various websites, Headey’s net worth is anywhere between $9 to $19 million. We are inclined to believe Celebrity Net Worth’s in-between figure of $12 million.
She may have played a queen on TV, but Headey doesn’t live an extravagant lifestyle. According to Know Net Worth, she lived in a Los Angeles home that she purchased for a relatively modest $790,000 in 2014.
Headey had already reduced her status from the Hollywood Hills home she bought for $1.8million in 2008. According to the Daily Mail, she sold it as a loss for $1.3 million in 2012.