One Game of Thrones star has actually learned to speak Valyrian, and it totally makes sense

Game of Thrones fans won’t be surprised to learn how intricately the universe is constructed. The actors have to do a lot of preparing for their roles — and one Game of Thrones star, Nathalie Emmanuel, has even learned to speak Valyrian.

Nathalie’s character, Missandei, is Khaleesi’s most trusted advisor. And she also happens to speak dozens of languages. As we know, she’s a handy lady to have around.

Nathalie spoke to Jimmy Kimmel on his talk show this week and gave us a little behind-the-scenes knowledge.

She told Jimmy she’s had to learn Missandei’s native language, Valyrian, and it’s much more complicated than you would think.

Nathalie and Jimmy chatted about how linguist David J. Peterson fully constructed the language, including establishing different dialects. Apparently, there is a high Valyrian and a low Valyrian, and Nathalie demonstrated the difference for the word “queen” in both.

Jimmy joked about how closely fans watch the show, but it’s true. Part of what makes Game of Thrones so incredible, and so popular, is this kind of attention to detail.

The actors’ willingness to put in that kind of work, like learning an entirely new language, is really a testament to their commitment to the show.

Nathalie was on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote her new movie, The Fate of the Furious, but of course, Jimmy had to ask her about Game of Thrones too. Nathalie also revealed she was working as a shop girl when she got the role of a lifetime. She folded sweaters, ran the till, and patrolled for shoplifters. Watch the full interview in this video:

As Jimmy commented, it’s a little strange to see our favorite characters in real life, out of costume. But even though Nathalie was there to talk about her movie, she still gave a little nod to Game of Thrones. She was “rocking the chain mail,” and she looked amazing.