Game of Thrones star Lena Headey seemed to have ran into financial troubles following her divorce, despite having a $1.2 million payday.

Actress Lena Headey became known around the world as the hated Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. The infamous Queen was known for her political games, much like her father Tywin Lannister. Headey’s performance was consistently appreciated and she was even nominated for five Emmys and a Golden Globe.

On the personal front, however, Leadey seemed to have had a tough time. Despite earning a whopping $1.2 million salary in later seasons of the fantasy show, Headey claimed that she had less than $5 in her account during her divorce from ex-husband Peter Loughran.

Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey Claimed To Be Broke After Her Divorce

Lena Headey in 300: Rise of an Empire | Credits: Warner Bros.

Lena Headey became a household name for her powerful performance as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. The actress was nominated for the Emmys five times in her tenure as the Queen in eight seasons of the HBO show. Cersei’s political movements, as well as her incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jamie Lannister, was a major talking point.

Headey had her breakthrough with the role and was only known for her roles in 300 and The Brothers Grimm. According to Medium, the actress pulled a salary of $150,000 per episode in the initial seasons, much like the rest of the cast. However, after the show became a global phenomenon, the actress reportedly earned $1.2 million per episode.

A still from Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

Despite the incredible payday, Headey was reportedly in financial trouble in 2013 following her divorce from Peter Loughran. After Loughran asked for half of a $46,000 tax refund, Headey reportedly asked for a $6,000 advance on the refund to Loughran (via TMZ). She reportedly claimed,

[She] had less than $5 in her bank account.

The actress reportedly asked for the $6,000 advance for basic living expenses, claiming that she was living off of credit. She was also raising their two-year-old son at the time.

Lena Headey Opened Up About Her Depression Following Her Divorce

A still from Game of Thrones | Credits: HBO

After her divorce from musician Peter Loughran, Lena Headey reportedly underwent a tumultuous time of depression. The actress opened up about her struggles with the grief over their divorce and mentioned how she was always being realistic about her future, despite making it on Game of Thrones.

The actress mentioned about the healing process and grief she went through in an interview with US Weekly,

It’s tough. There’s a lot of hurt and sadness and disappointment. Grief. Massive grief. It’s a mourning process, and yet nobody’s died…I think some people’s brains are just wired that way if you’re a thinker. People who never get anxious always amaze me. The world could be breaking up and they’re saying, ‘Everything’s fine!’ Getting older and having kids, you learn how to become less serious about it all.

She also spoke about depressive spells, mentioning that she had not had one in a while as she was concentrating on her children. Headey also mentioned that despite her career taking off with Game of Thrones, she was always thinking along the lines of having to survive if everything ended.

Game of Thrones is available for streaming on Max.