The geek community reserves a special place in its collective heart for those members of the entertainment industry who share the geeky mindset—particularly those who fly their banner high. One such thespian is Gwendoline Christie, who is best known for her acting role as Brienne of Tarth in HBO’s Game of Thrones. Christie was born in the UK and grew up in a small village near South Downs. Her first love was gymnastics and she trained semi-professionally for most of her childhood until a spinal injury forced her to retire and find a career elsewhere. Her high school drama coach, actor and author Simon Callow, mentored Christie and guided her into theatrical, and then on-screen acting, and she graduated from Drama Centre London in 2005.
