Nathalie Emmanuel

 Nathalie Joanne Emmanuel (born 2 March 1989), is an English actress. Emmanuel started her career in acting with the theatre in the latter part of 1990 when she began to be cast in different West End productions such as the musical The Lion King. Her acting career began in 2006 as Sasha Valentine, a soap opera. After that, she was cast in several British TV shows which included the sequel Maze Runner. Her mother is Dominican, and her father is half-Saint Lucian and half English descent. She has a younger sister. Emmanuel recalled how her mom was the first person to realize her interest in acting when she was a student at St Hilda's School. It was closed in the year 2014. The Westcliff High School For Girls grammar school followed. In an interview for The New York Daily News, she revealed, "When my mom was three, she would always be the center of attention, so she thought maybe I should channel her energy properly. So I began taking singing, acting, and dance classes." At 10 years old, she played Young Nala, West End's production of The Lion King. Then she was cast as Missandei in HBO's fantasy drama Game of Thrones. She shared with Jimmy Kimmel that she learned about the role during her work as an assistant at a clothing store. Emmanuel was made an official cast member on the show in the year 2015. Missandei is the sole prominent female character in the show was a woman of color. The scene where she was entombed in chains was not popular with viewers. It was also described as an example of deceit and also evoked images of slavery. Emmanuel later stated to The Guardian: The response to Missandei’s passing was so huge because she was alone. I think that a lot of people who felt excluded or marginalized were influenced by Missandei or felt represented in her. It was extremely difficult for people to see her leave, especially when it happened in the way she did. This is how they want to honor the only woman of their race.