Nathalie Emmanuel

 Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel was born 2 March 1989. Emmanuel began her acting career in the theatre in the latter part of the 90s. She was featured in roles in West End musicals like The Lion King. She started her acting career in 2006 as Sasha Valentine, a soap opera. Following that, she was cast in various British TV shows and the sequel Maze Runner. Her mother is Dominican and her father is half-Saint Lucian and half English descent. Her older brother is also a member of the family. Emmanuel remembered her mother's first notice of her passion for acting and the desire to become an actress when she was a student at St Hilda's School. This school was closed in 2014 and was replaced by Westcliff High School. In an interview with New York Daily News, she said "When I was just three years old, I always caused drama, and my mom thought maybe I should channel my energy properly, and so she began me taking singing, acting, and dancing classes".At the age of 10 she was cast as Young Nala in the West End production of the musical The Lion King. The following year, she was cast as Missandei, Daenerys Targaryen's interpreter on HBO's fantasy drama series Game of Thrones. She revealed to Jimmy Kimmel that she learned about the character during her work as an assistant at a clothing shop. In 2015, Emmanuel was promoted to an actor on the show. Missandei, the only notable female character on the show was a woman-of-colour. The scene in which she died in chains was not well-liked by fans. The scene was also considered an example of fodging and was evoked with images of slavery. Emmanuel later stated to The Guardian: The response to Missandei’s passing was so massive because she was the only one. I think that a lot of people who felt marginalized or excluded were influenced by Missandei or felt represented in her. It was incredibly difficult for many to watch her disappear, particularly when it was done in the manner that she was treated. They're going after the only woman of colour.