Game of Thrones Thread -

[Lemmingwise]

What you're describing is breach of contract

I'm pretty sure the legal defense against breath deprivating scene would be easy to do.

But the reputational damage is just an instant career ender. Only few actors can get away with "diva behaviour" and some of the mildest disagreeableness would fall under that.
Actors are already preselected for doing whatever it takes. The casting process and constant rejection takes care of that.

This is a relatable video for actors;

 

[RomanesEuntDomus]

While I don't entirely disagree with your points (I tend toward Woody Allen's assessment, "The physical labor actors do wouldn't tax a fetus"), this is really oversimplifying things. What you're describing is breach of contract, and actors can be sued right out of the profession if they do it. Look into how Kim Basinger's career nearly crashed and burned because she pulled out of Boxing Helena on the grounds it was sick amputee porn.

I'm fully aware of that, but I consider working in a different field (ie: not acting) as perfectly acceptable as an alternative to being an actress if acting is too much to ask for.
Many people quit their job and do something completely unrelated. It's not unique or special in acting to quit for shitty work conditions.

And I still maintain: Being tied to a table (we really don't know how legit the manacles were, for all we know she could just slip right out of them) might not be super pleasant, but getting a bit of liquid splashed in your face... for fuck's sake, every single person in this thread that got dipped under the water by their friends in their youth has suffered worse.