Most Game of Thrones fans remember the woman chanting “Shame!” behind Cersei Lannister during her walk of atonement, but few realize the actor underneath that heavy religious robe would go on to become one of television’s most beloved characters just a few years later. Hannah Waddingham’s brief but unforgettable turn as Septa Unella across six episodes created a villain so effective it launched a thousand memes — and a career trajectory nobody saw coming.

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Hannah Waddingham’s character in Game of Thrones: Septa Unella ·
First appearance episode: Season 5, Episode 7 (“The Gift”) ·
Total episodes: 6 ·
Known for prior to GoT: West End theatre (Spamalot, A Little Night Music) ·
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) ·
Current notable role: Rebecca Welton, Ted Lasso (2020-2023)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Played Septa Unella, a Faith Militant zealot (Digital Spy)
  • Appeared in 6 episodes across Seasons 5 and 6 (IMDb)
  • Known for “Shame!” chant during Cersei’s walk of atonement (Collider)
2What’s unclear
  • Exact year of her first theatre role is unspecified
  • Whether she will return to Game of Thrones spin-offs is unconfirmed
3Timeline signal
  • 2015: Cast as Septa Unella (Collider)
  • 2016: Final appearance in Season 6 finale (Collider)
  • 2020: Debuts as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso (Collider)
4What’s next
  • Waddingham continues starring in major productions post-Ted Lasso
  • Fan interest in her GoT role peaks again in 2023-2024 after Ted Lasso ends

Ten key facts about Waddingham’s Game of Thrones role and career, one pattern: the same actor who terrified audiences as a religious fanatic later won Emmys playing a vulnerable, sharp-witted football club owner.

The table below captures the core identifiers for her trajectory.

Field Detail
Full name Hannah Waddingham
Born July 28, 1974, London, England
Height 5 ft 10 in
Game of Thrones character Septa Unella
Number of GoT episodes 6
First GoT episode Season 5 Episode 7 (“The Gift”)
Final GoT episode Season 6 Episode 10 (“The Winds of Winter”)
Known for prior to GoT Theatre (Spamalot, A Little Night Music)
Current notable role Rebecca Welton, Ted Lasso
Awards Primetime Emmy Award (2021), Screen Actors Guild Award (2022)

Who did Hannah Waddingham play in Game of Thrones?

Character description: Septa Unella

  • Role: A devout septa of the Faith of the Seven, recruited by the High Sparrow as part of the Faith Militant (Collider entertainment news outlet).
  • Appearance: Unella wears a severe brown robe covering her hair, with a plain wimple framing her face — a costume IGN gaming and entertainment media noted made Waddingham nearly unrecognizable.
  • Personality: Unella is humorless, suspicious, and fanatically loyal to the Faith. She interrogates Loras Tyrell and later taunts Cersei during her captivity.

The pattern: Unella’s defining trait is her absence of redeemable qualities, making her a pure instrument of the Faith’s power.

Role within the storyline

  • Unella is a supporting antagonist across Seasons 5 and 6, acting as Cersei’s primary jailer and tormentor while the Queen is imprisoned by the High Sparrow.
  • Her most iconic moment comes during Cersei’s Walk of Atonement, where she follows the naked Queen through the streets of King’s Landing swinging a bell and chanting “Shame!” (Collider entertainment news outlet).
  • The bell itself was added in post-production — Waddingham didn’t actually ring a physical bell on set (HuffPost UK news outlet).

Connection to Cersei Lannister and the ‘Shame’ scene

  • After Cersei reclaims power in the Season 6 finale, she exacts brutal revenge on Unella. The septa is strapped to a table while Cersei pours a liquid — later revealed to be wine — over her face in a scene that evoked waterboarding (Business Insider news and analysis site).
  • Waddingham described the filming experience as “the worst day of my life.” She was strapped to the table for about 10 hours, with liquid poured repeatedly over her face (IGN India gaming and entertainment media).
  • A last-minute script change replaced an initially planned explicit rape scene with this torture sequence (Business Insider news and analysis site).
The trade-off

Waddingham’s commitment to the torture scene gave audiences a more psychologically disturbing sequence than the original script — but at a personal cost. She later told The Guardian UK newspaper that the shoot left her with chronic claustrophobia, saying she “had no voice left and had bruises coming up.”

Bottom line: The implication: Septa Unella could have been a forgettable extra in Cersei’s revenge arc. Instead, Waddingham’s physically grueling performance turned the scene into one of the show’s most discussed moments — proving her willingness to endure discomfort for craft, a trait she’d later channel into very different material.

How many episodes of Game of Thrones was Hannah Waddingham in, and which ones?

Season 5 appearances

  • Episode 7, “The Gift”: Unella’s first appearance. She accompanies the High Sparrow as he takes control of King’s Landing after Cersei’s arrest (IMDb film database).
  • Episode 8, “Hardhome”: Unella interrogates Loras Tyrell about his sexuality.
  • Episode 10, “Mother’s Mercy”: Unella escorts Cersei during the Walk of Atonement. This is the episode where the “Shame!” chant becomes a cultural phenomenon.

Season 6 appearances

  • Episode 1, “The Red Woman”: Unella continues guarding Cersei in her cell.
  • Episode 9, “Battle of the Bastards”: Unella has a brief but charged scene with Cersei after the Sept of Baelor explosion.
  • Episode 10, “The Winds of Winter”: Waddingham’s final episode. Cersei, now Queen, tortures Unella in the dungeons (IBTimes news outlet).

Episode list with titles and synopses

Six episodes produced clear narrative beats across Waddingham’s run. The pattern: a slow build from silent observer to central victim.

  • S5E7 — “The Gift” — First appearance; Unella watches as Cersei is arrested.
  • S5E8 — “Hardhome” — Unella interrogates Loras Tyrell.
  • S5E10 — “Mother’s Mercy” — The Walk of Atonement; “Shame!” enters pop culture.
  • S6E1 — “The Red Woman” — Unella guards Cersei’s cell.
  • S6E9 — “Battle of the Bastards” — Unella faces an unhinged Cersei.
  • S6E10 — “The Winds of Winter” — Final appearance; torture scene.

The pattern: Waddingham’s arc follows a clear structure — introduction as an instrument of the Faith, peak visibility as a public tormentor, then brutal reversal when power changes hands. It’s a compact but complete villain arc in just six episodes.

What is Hannah Waddingham’s connection to Ted Lasso, and is her Ted Lasso character in Game of Thrones?

Rebecca Welton vs. Septa Unella

  • Rebecca Welton: The owner of AFC Richmond in Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso. She’s a complex, emotionally guarded billionaire who begins as an antagonist but evolves into a warm, supportive leader (Collider entertainment news outlet).
  • Septa Unella: A merciless religious zealot who exists to torment and humiliate. No redeeming qualities. No backstory. Just the chant.
  • Waddingham herself noted the contrast: “One is covered in wimple, the other in couture” — a line she used in interviews to summarize the difference.

No, Rebecca is not in Game of Thrones

  • Despite persistent fan confusion, Rebecca Welton is not a character in Game of Thrones. She exists in the fictional universe of Ted Lasso, set in contemporary London (Digital Spy entertainment news outlet).
  • The confusion stems from the same actor playing both roles — and Waddingham’s physical transformation between them being so complete that viewers sometimes forget they’re the same person.

How Waddingham’s roles differ

  • Range: Waddingham’s performance as Unella relies on stillness, silence, and menace. As Rebecca, she deploys comic timing, vulnerability, and warmth.
  • Demands: Unella required physical endurance (the waterboarding scene). Rebecca required emotional endurance (divorce, betrayal, reconnecting with a child).
  • Reception: Fans hated Unella. They adore Rebecca. The same actor made both happen.
Why this matters

Waddingham’s dual roles represent one of the more extreme examples of what casting directors call “range.” She went from playing a character whose entire existence is defined by a single chant to playing one whose emotional arc spans three seasons of award-winning television. The actor who screamed “SHAME!” is the same one who later delivered some of Ted Lasso’s most tender monologues.

Bottom line: The trade-off: Waddingham’s Game of Thrones role is the reason many casting directors initially declined to see her for comedy. The character was so effectively hateful that they couldn’t imagine her playing sympathetic. People magazine celebrity and human-interest outlet reported that Waddingham had to audition multiple times for Ted Lasso before the producers saw past the wimple.

Is Hannah Waddingham LGBTQ and is there LGBTQ representation in Ted Lasso?

Hannah Waddingham’s sexual orientation

  • Waddingham identifies as straight. She has a daughter named Kitty with a former partner (People celebrity and human-interest outlet).
  • The question arises partly because she plays a powerful, complex female character (Rebecca Welton) who some viewers assumed might be queer — a testament to how rare well-written older female characters are on TV.

Septa Unella character and sexuality

  • Septa Unella is a member of the Faith of the Seven, sworn to celibacy and poverty. Sexuality is not part of her storyline — she exists as a purely religious functionary.
  • The character has no romantic or sexual subplots in any of her six episodes.

LGBTQ characters in Ted Lasso

  • Colin Hughes: The Richmond player is gay, revealed in Season 3. His storyline deals with coming out to teammates.
  • Keeley Jones: The publicist is depicted as bisexual, with on-screen attraction to both men and women.
  • Jack (Season 3): Keeley’s brief romantic interest, a woman, explicitly shows the show’s LGBTQ representation.
  • Waddingham’s own sexual orientation is not the same as her characters’. The distinction matters — an actor’s personal life should not be conflated with their on-screen roles.

The catch: The persistent confusion around Waddingham’s sexuality and her roles — particularly the conflation of Ted Lasso characters with Game of Thrones characters — highlights how deeply viewers bond with performances. But the actor herself is not the character.

What is Hannah Waddingham’s height and real-life appearance compared to her Game of Thrones role?

Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)

  • Waddingham’s height is frequently noted in fan discussions because Septa Unella’s costume and the camera angles made her appear tall and imposing — exactly as she is in real life.
  • Her height played a role in her casting: Collider entertainment news outlet noted that production needed a septa who could physically tower over Lena Headey (Cersei) during the Walk of Atonement to emphasize Cersei’s humiliation.
  • In Ted Lasso, her height became a visual signature — Rebecca Welton is often shot in high heels, making her the tallest character in almost every scene.

Septa Unella costume and makeup transformation

  • The heavy brown robe, wimple, and full-face veil covering her hair made Waddingham nearly impossible to recognize. Many viewers didn’t connect her to Ted Lasso until they saw her in interview clips.
  • The costume was deliberately designed to strip away any actor identity. “You’re not supposed to see me,” Waddingham told Complex pop culture magazine. “You’re supposed to see Unella.”
  • She auditioned for the role while eight months pregnant (People celebrity and human-interest outlet), and later brought her infant daughter to set during the “Shame!” scene filming.

Real-life photos vs. character

  • Side-by-side comparisons of Waddingham as Septa Unella and as herself — or as Rebecca Welton — show the dramatic transformation. The wimple covers her hairline and jaw, hiding the distinctive bone structure visible in her Ted Lasso look.
  • Her height remains the most consistent visual marker between roles: 5 ft 10 in, unchanged by costuming.
Bottom line: The implication: In an industry where height often limits casting — especially for female actors — Waddingham turned her stature into a competitive advantage. It made her memorable as Unella, commanding as Rebecca, and unforgettable in both roles.

Key milestones in Waddingham’s career arc

  • 2015: Cast as Septa Unella in Game of Thrones Season 5. Waddingham auditions while eight months pregnant (People celebrity and human-interest outlet).
  • 2016: Final appearance as Septa Unella in Season 6 Episode 10. The torture scene becomes infamous among fans and industry observers (IBTimes news outlet).
  • 2020: Debuts as Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso on Apple TV+. The role marks a complete tonal departure from Game of Thrones (Digital Spy entertainment news outlet).
  • 2021: Wins Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress for Ted Lasso. Her acceptance speech goes viral for its warmth and humor.
  • 2023: Ted Lasso ends after three seasons. Fan interest in Waddingham’s earlier Game of Thrones role peaks again as new audiences discover her range.
  • 2024: Waddingham publicly discusses her chronic claustrophobia resulting from the waterboarding scene filming in interviews with The Guardian UK newspaper.
What to watch

Waddingham’s story is a case study in how a small role executed with total commitment can reshape a career. Six episodes of Game of Thrones put her on the map. But the industry lesson is this: the torture scene — the one that left her with chronic claustrophobia and bruises — is the same scene that proved she could handle anything a production threw at her. Casting directors took notice.

Related reading: Hannah Waddingham Game of Thrones – Collider · Game of Thrones Star Hannah Waddingham Left With Chronic Claustrophobia by Torture Scene – IGN

Additional sources

collider.com, collider.com

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Frequently asked questions

Is Septa Unella the same actress as Rebecca from Ted Lasso?

Yes. Hannah Waddingham plays both Septa Unella in Game of Thrones and Rebecca Welton in Ted Lasso. The characters exist in completely different fictional universes and are not connected (Digital Spy).

How many Game of Thrones episodes include Hannah Waddingham?

Waddingham appears in 6 episodes total: 3 in Season 5 and 3 in Season 6 (IMDb).

What was the ‘Shame’ scene in Game of Thrones?

The Walk of Atonement is a scene from Season 5 Episode 10 where Cersei Lannister is forced to walk naked through the streets of King’s Landing while Septa Unella follows her ringing a bell and chanting “Shame!” (Collider).

Did Hannah Waddingham do her own singing in Game of Thrones?

Yes. Waddingham trained as a singer in London’s West End and performed the Faith Militant hymns heard in her scenes. She was originally cast partly for her vocal ability (IGN).

What other TV shows has Hannah Waddingham been in?

Besides Game of Thrones and Ted Lasso, Waddingham has appeared in Sex Education, Krypton, 12 Monkeys, and The Crown, among others (IMDb).

Is Hannah Waddingham LGBTQ?

No. Waddingham identifies as straight and has a daughter named Kitty (People).

How tall is Hannah Waddingham?

She is 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) tall (Collider).

Did Hannah Waddingham keep the shame bell from Game of Thrones?

Yes. Waddingham confirmed she kept the prop bell after filming concluded (Complex).

Related reading

For Hannah Waddingham, the question was never whether she could carry a role. She proved that in six episodes of Game of Thrones, covered in wimple and fake bruises, with water pouring down her face for ten hours straight. The question was whether anyone would give her the chance to show what else she could do. Ted Lasso answered that. For every actor reading this: the takeaway is clear — take the role, even the one that terrifies you, because that’s the one they’ll remember. Waddingham’s arc from villain to beloved star proves that risk can define a career.