Gwendoline Christie Doesn't 'Enjoy Being Photographed' — Why She Took on This Major Modeling Gig (Exclusive)
- - Gwendoline Christie Doesn't 'Enjoy Being Photographed' — Why She Took on This Major Modeling Gig (Exclusive)
Michelle LeeNovember 16, 2025 at 12:58 AM
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Sølve Sundsbø
Gwendoline Christie photogprahed by Sølve Sundsbø for the 2026 Pirelli Calendar -
Gwendoline Christie sits down with PEOPLE to open up about her modeling career and making her debut in the historic Pirelli Calendar for its 52nd edition
The actress — known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Wednesday and Succession — admits that she doesn't "enjoy being photographed" as herself but enjoys the art of transformation
The 2026 Pirelli Calendar was shot by Sølve Sundsbø and in inspired by the natural elements
Gwendoline Christie is one of the most powerful forces onscreen, but posing in front of a camera isn't something she'd typically sign up for.
"I don't really enjoy being photographed as me at all," the actress, 47, tells PEOPLE. "Something that kept coming up when I was talking to people about the second season of Wednesday [in which reprises her role as Larissa Weems] was that I've spent my whole life wanting to be invisible or someone else." But now, "the remarkable thing is that I'm probably more comfortable and confident about who I am."
The Game of Throne star's refreshed outlook on her image was born out of the many "creative partnerships" she's been able to take part in that have brought her "great joy, inspiration and perhaps a feeling of resolution." That includes her most recent modeling gig — her debut in the 2026 Pirelli Calendar.
Sølve Sundsbø
Behind the scenes of Gwendoline Christie's 2026 Pirelli Calendar shoot by Sølve Sundsbø
"It's such a legendary object and it's also a window each year into how we express and perceive beauty. And one of the things I love most about the Pirelli Calendar is how it's evolved over the years, and how we've seen very different people both shooting the Calendar and as the subjects in the images."
This year's 52nd second edition was shot by Norwegian photographer Sølve Sundsbø and was inspired by the four natural elements: earth, wind, water and fire. Christie was captured with all the lights turned off in the studio.
"I adored the process and the results, they were really spectacular," she says of reconnecting with Sundsbø for the powerful shoot. "I love the immediacy of the image creation. I'm an actor. I'll always be an actress."
Her involvement in the global project, which dates back to 1964, isn't just personal. Christie joins 10 influential women across fashion (Irina Shayk), sports (Venus Williams), film (also Tilda Swinton, Isabella Rossellini and Adria Arjona) and music (FKA twigs) whose ages range between the 30s to 70s.
"I think our modern-day explorations of femininity are incredibly important. Women haven't held the vote for that long. It's still not illegal to pay women less than men for no reason. So there's still work to be done. But I think also, it's important to embrace and explore what our femininity is, where it takes us," says Christie. "I think that really, why any of us are moving through life is hopefully the pursuit of wisdom. I enjoy any opportunity that affords someone the time and space to really think about who they are in terms of how they express themselves, how they identify their femininity, their masculinity, their energetic force. It's important for women to be given the space to be presented in a state of self-empowerment and strength."
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WWD/Penske Media via Getty
Gwendoline Christie walking the Tomo Koizumi show during New York Fashion Week in 2019
Christie began modeling at the age of 34, and while she admits she did so "very late in life," her love for the fashion industry runs deep. "I didn't necessarily work in fashion, but all of my friends who were involved in design, fashion or in art, they all cherished me and were very strong that I had a future doing whatever it was I wanted to do. So, I feel indebted in some ways and always galvanized by what's happening in fashion."
She surely has created a community by becoming a beacon of representation ("You find your people, hopefully – and I’m probably, as I move through life, finding more of mine," she said in her interview with Pirelli). The "very greatest compliments" she's received actually came from fellow model Alex Consani. "She had said she wanted me to play her in a film of her life," recalls Christie. "I think first time I saw her was several years ago in a Margiela show, and I just fell in love with her and I thought, who is that? She's a real artist and a brilliant model, performer and energy."
on People
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