Emilia Clarke is back: ‘I felt like I was no longer myself’
From Mother of Dragons to tech girl. With her latest role, Emilia Clarke (36) leaves her Game of Thrones image behind for good. After a quiet period she is back in business !
ComebackAfter a short break, Emilia is back with one major role after another. The love for the profession was passed on to the actress as a young girl by her father, who worked as a sound engineer in the theater. It is therefore not surprising that she decided to make her British stage debut in the play The Seagull as her first project after Game of Thrones . Also as a tribute to her now deceased father. “It was magical, and it felt like he was on stage next to me every night.”
Emilia has now effortlessly moved from the stage to various films and series. Although typecasting was lurking after her dragon mother role (“I still get similar scripts, but I kindly thank you for that”), she is looking for diversity in her new projects. For example, she can soon be seen as superheroine Abigail Brand in the latest Marvel series Secret Invasion , for which the whole of Hollywood was queuing. Not surprising according to Emilia: “You want to be part of this! The way these shows and movies are made is amazing, including all the secrecy.” The only outsider welcome on the secret set was her dog Ted. “In his desperate urge to get into the picture, he demolished almost the entire set. And then shit on it.”
New roleWhat the actress needs to be less secretive about is her new movie The Pod Generation . For this, Emilia takes on the role of a tech girl, who discovers what it’s like when your baby doesn’t grow in the womb, but in an egg-shaped ‘pod’. “A special story that made me think as a woman about the control over my body.” For this film, Emilia not only further developed her acting, but also producer skills. “As an actor it can sometimes feel like you are the last to arrive at a party, as a producer you are there from the first minute: great!”
Four years after the end of Game of Thrones, the British actress finally feels like she’s landed a bit again, as the worldwide success has been quite overwhelming. “I was still young, had no idea and also zero comparison material. Those first seasons I was very insecure and afraid of being fired because they wouldn’t think I was good enough. After a few years, my self-confidence grew and the realization that I was chosen for a reason.” The hit series not only earns Emilia the status of most influential actress and many awards, but also a number of best friends: “ I’m still very close with Rose Leslie and Kit Harington : I talk to them every week. Jason Momoa is also still a dear friend.”
House of DragonsAfter the sadness of the end, she now looks back with pride and pleasure: “GOT has ensured that I understand the industry, can deal with the press and know what it means to be an actor. It feels as special as high school. That’s also the reason I ‘ve never seen spin-off House of Dragons . To me, it feels a bit like going to a school reunion from another year. Too weird…”
Her big break also earned her a few special fans: from a DM from Ryan Reynolds (“ I lost my mind! ”) to a date with Brad Pitt . At a special gala for Haiti, he offered $120,000 to watch a GOT episode with Emilia. “The most amazing and bizarre moment of my life!” Speaking of special dates: after relationships with actor and producer Seth MacFarlane and director Charlie McDowell – now married to Lily Collins – it seems that Emilia has been single for some time. “It is almost impossible to find a partner, yet I still believe in true love.”
Brain aneurysmEmilia used to keep her life out of the spotlight as much as possible, but now she is more open than ever. This has everything to do with a life-changing moment: just after the shooting of the first GOT season, she suffered a cerebral aneurysm and later a cerebral hemorrhage. With two major operations and a months-long rehabilitation period as a result. The actress kept this to herself for years, but decided to share it in 2019 through an impressive essay in The New Yorker . “The scariest thing I’ve ever done. I was afraid people would think: there’s another celeb sob story, what do we care. Until I thought: if I can only help a few, this is worth it. Fortunately, the response was overwhelming.”
Together with her mother Jenny, Emilia has now set up the SameYou foundation with which she supports survivors of brain disorders. “The first thing you feel after brain surgery is that you are no longer yourself. The scariest feeling ever. For example, I was very afraid that I had lost the part of the brain that allows me to act. A scan eventually showed that I can no longer use part of my brain. Despite that, I can still do everything. I have been incredibly lucky!
This article is from the latest Grazia. In stores now!
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