It’s difficult to imagine Game of Thrones without Daenerys Targaryen, but it’s even more criminal if it wasn’t Emilia Clarke playing the iconic role. The franchise mainly revolved around her story and journey to claiming the Iron Throne so it was a massive responsibility to portray the character on screen.
For eight seasons, the actress embodied the Mother of Dragons as if she was born to become one – and she did it successfully. Although many other actresses vied for the coveted part, only Clarke captured the spirit of Daenerys’ two sides.
Game of Thrones Showrunner Reveals How Emilia Clarke Became Daenerys Targaryen
Emilia Clarke received four Primetime Emmy nominations for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones. She was only 24 years old when the first season premiered on television, a show that would swiftly change the trajectory of her career.
Growing up with a father who worked as a sound designer in various theaters, Clarke was exposed to the world of acting. At an early age, she knew she wanted to become an actress. Although her father warned her about the perils of joining the industry, he was very supportive.
It was not a smooth sailing experience at the beginning of her career. She applied to a drama school but got rejected, which forced her to work as a waitress. She was able to enter Drama Centre London while supporting herself by working in a pub, a museum, and a call center. At the time, acting roles were very scarce.
In 2010, she joined an audition for Game of Thrones where they had to prepare for two different scenes: Daenerys as a weak and timid girl and the Mother of Dragons version. Some of the known actresses who participated were MCU’s Elizabeth Olsen and Tamzin Merchant, the actress who infamously played the role in the scrapped pilot episode.
According to showrunner David Benioff, many actresses nailed the first part but failed the second part. Others did the same but the other way around. “Only Emilia made both work,” revealed Benioff via The Guardian. He said he couldn’t imagine anyone else playing Daenerys Targaryen. “She was our one true queen,” he added.
After the failed pilot episode with Merchant, the studio threw in Clarke to fill in the role. At the time, it was her biggest project yet in her entire career.
Emilia Clarke Had to Dance At Her Game of Thrones Audition
Oddly enough, Clarke had a bizarre audition experience. She recalled while guesting on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that after she did her scenes, she asked them what else she could do. Benioff suggested she should dance.
The actress followed the instructions and did the “funky chicken” and the robot dance, and while there were a lot of HBO executives in the room, she also heard people laughing. Clarke obviously did very well at her audition, unlike Olsen who claimed she had a terrible experience.
Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on HBO.
