Interview
Game of Thrones’ Jessica Henwick chose The Matrix Resurrections over MCU’s Shang-Chi
Game of Thrones stars have been landing major roles in almost every big franchise ever since the show got hit. From Marvel to DC and other great production houses, the film industry has benefitted a lot from their immense talents, but there are times when an actor has to choose between projects and it’s not an easy choice. Jessica Henwick, who played Nymeria Sand, one of the Sand Snakes on Game of Thrones, was presented with such a choice a while ago. She had to choose between MCU’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, and The Matrix Resurrections, of which she decided to go with the latter.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Henwick explained, “[The studios] knew about the other offers, and both of them gave me the offer on the stipulation that I could only audition for one or the other. And there was no guarantee that I would get either. It was a red pill, blue pill moment for me.”
Henwick had already worked with Marvel – playing Colleen Wing – in The Iron Fist and The Defenders. She revealed, “I’ve obviously done Marvel TV, so I was already in the universe. I knew that joining The Matrix is not an opportunity that you get every day. Lana has had so many offers to make more Matrix films. I just knew it was now or never. Whereas, obviously, Marvel is a huge, wonderful company that makes films very, very regularly.”
On being asked if her training on Game of Thrones helped her get through The Matrix Resurrections more easily, she replied, “I’d learned through so many different teachers and so many different styles [of action], and it was kind of perfect for Bugs. The only thing that was really new for me was working with weapons, specifically guns. I’d never shot a gun in real life. I didn’t realize how heavy they are and how hard it is not to blink when you do it.”
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