Lena Headey may have spent the last decade playing the ruthless Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones, but in real life she is, and looks, nothing like her famous character. While Cersei was famous for her honey-blonde hair (a Lannister signature), Headey is recognizable for her brunette lob. And while Cersei didn't have any tattoos at all, Headey has a long-running penchant for ink. In fact, her collection includes at least 13 — but more after tonight.
It appears that sometime before arriving to the 2019 Emmy Awards, Headey was inside the famed studio of L.A. tattoo artist Dr. Woo, adding a sizable design to her right hand. The GoT actress showed off the new ink — a detailed illustration of a beetle — on Instagram on Sunday afternoon. "[Dr. Woo] you master," she wrote in the caption. "Already in the next realm with my scarab."
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But Headey's new tattoo isn't just a design of any kind of beetle, but a scarab beetle. Most people may recognize the insect as the same tiny, flesh-eating bug from the 1999 movie The Mummy, but the scarab beetle also has a significant role in ancient Egyptian history. It turns out, the heavy-bodied beetle was associated with divine manifestation, often serving as a symbol for development and growth.
The jury is out on whether or not we're still terrified of the beetles, but to no one's surprise, Headey is clearly not. In fact, we dare say the symbolic gesture is a nod to her swan song on Game of Thrones. As she said, onto the next realm...