‘Game of Thrones’ Season 6 News Update: “The Red Woman” Final Scene Took Hours of Makeup

The eagerly-awaited premiere episode of "Game of Thrones" finally aired on Sunday and lived up to its title in letter and spirit.

"The Red Woman" was frightening to a T as it introduced viewers to the real face of Melisandre, the Red Priestess who we till now knew as a ravishing beauty. In reality, she turned out to be an old, frail and freckled woman, who manages to look young because of her magical charm. As she removed her necklace, her older self slowly came out, and it was really scary to see her older self.

As for the 39-year-old Dutch actress Carice van Houten, who plays the character on the show, the portrayal of the ugly old lady was enjoyable. According reports, she spent as many as six hours in the makeup room to get that look. The production team had to use a body double as well and as per Carice, the 80-year-old woman from Ireland, who participated in the makeup exercise, was really lovely and sweet.

She referred to the long makeup sessions and the later removal as a kind of Zen practice for her. She enjoyed it thoroughly and took the help of music to pass the time. It was layers of makeup that sat on her face and once the shooting was done, she would feel like ripping it off.

Meanwhile, it also made her a butt of jokes. Co-star Liam Cunningham (who plays Sir Davos), took mean shots at her saying this is how she really looks. Isaac Hempstead-Wright (who plays Bran Stark) got scared the next day and the same happened with some other crew members too but ultimately it turned out to be fun.

But in terms of the characters, the revelation of Melisandre's real self is going to have repercussion for Davos because of the relationship the duo share. Both have got to go somewhere after the secret is out.

Carice has no qualms as this is a welcome change for her, playing an insecure woman riddled with anxiety than to be someone who was always strong and secure.