“I Was Terrified”: Emilia Clarke Opens Up About the Hardest Part of Playing Daenerys Targaryen

Emilia Clarke’s portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones catapulted her into international stardom, but her journey throughout the series was far from simple. The role demanded incredible emotional resilience, physical endurance, and often, personal sacrifice. In recent interviews, Clarke has opened up about the most difficult aspects of her experience on the show, particularly the emotionally taxing nude and sex scenes, as well as the significant health struggles she faced behind the scenes.

Context and Role Overview

When Emilia Clarke was cast as Daenerys at the age of 22, she had just completed drama school and had limited professional experience. The role, central to the Game of Thrones storyline, was a career-defining moment, thrusting her into the global spotlight. However, with fame came intense scrutiny, and Clarke quickly found herself faced with challenging scenes that tested her both emotionally and physically. From the very first season, her character was involved in highly controversial, sexually charged scenes, many of which included nudity. While the series was praised for its epic scope and intricate characters, it was also criticized for its portrayal of women and the frequent use of “sexposition”—a term coined to describe how sex scenes were often used to advance the plot.

The Emotional Toll of Nude and Sex Scenes

According to Clarke, the most challenging part of her time on Game of Thrones were the nude and sex scenes, particularly those in the early seasons. In a candid interview with The Guardian, Clarke described these moments as “terrifying,” recalling how she would often be in tears before shooting. “I’d been on a film set twice before then, and now I’m on a film set completely naked with all these people,” she shared. “I don’t know what I’m meant to do, and I don’t know what’s expected of me.”

At just 23 years old, Clarke was unprepared for the weight of the scenes, which required her to navigate complex emotional terrain. She revealed that, in the early days, she didn’t know how to manage the vulnerability of such scenes or how to communicate her discomfort. This feeling of being overwhelmed and unprepared led to a sense of “imposter syndrome” that Clarke described as “times a million” during the first season.

As the show progressed, Clarke became more assertive about her comfort, taking control of what she was and was not willing to do. She recounted demanding that “the sheet stays up” in later seasons, a sign of her growing confidence in setting boundaries.

Co-Star Support: Jason Momoa’s Protective Role

One of the most emotionally charged moments of the early seasons occurred during a particularly difficult scene involving her character, Daenerys, and Khal Drogo (played by Jason Momoa). The scene was highly controversial, involving a forced sexual encounter between the two characters. Clarke has openly credited Momoa with being a supportive and protective figure during this challenging moment. She described how Momoa was visibly emotional, even crying more than she did, and went out of his way to ensure her comfort on set, including asking for a robe when she was shivering. Clarke’s relationship with her co-star provided a sense of security, allowing her to navigate these emotionally intense scenes with greater ease.

Health Struggles: A Silent Battle

While Clarke’s on-screen challenges were difficult, they were further complicated by serious health issues that she faced behind the scenes. In 2011, after the first season of Game of Thrones, Clarke suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm. She experienced another aneurysm in 2013, during the production of Season 3. The injuries required multiple surgeries, and Clarke was left battling significant physical and emotional consequences.

In an interview with Big Issue, Clarke admitted that she feared she would be fired after her brain injuries, revealing how such a profound change in her health altered her sense of self. “When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight,” she explained. Clarke’s struggle with brain injury added another layer of complexity to an already challenging filming experience, and she candidly admitted that, at times, she thought to herself, “Well, if I’m going to die, I better die on live TV.”

Despite the tremendous personal and health obstacles, Clarke pushed through, keeping her struggles hidden from the public eye while delivering a powerful performance season after season. However, the impact of her health issues made her feel even more vulnerable in a public-facing career, amplifying her insecurities.

Other On-Set Demands: Stunts and Language Barriers

Beyond the emotionally taxing scenes, Clarke also faced the physical demands of performing dangerous stunts and learning new languages for the role of Daenerys. Game of Thrones is known for its brutal and sometimes perilous action sequences, and Clarke was no stranger to filming challenging stunts, some of which involved working with live animals and performing her own scenes. Additionally, Daenerys spoke several fictional languages, including High Valyrian, requiring Clarke to commit to learning complex dialogue in a made-up language—a task that added further pressure to her already demanding schedule.

Though Clarke has spoken less about the physical stunts compared to her emotional challenges, these elements of the role were certainly significant. The fire scenes in particular, which saw Daenerys surviving intense fire-related scenes, were noted as demanding in interviews with other cast members. While body doubles and fireproof suits were used for certain scenes, the physical intensity of working on Game of Thrones was not to be underestimated.

Conclusion: The Hardest Thing Was Vulnerability

For Emilia Clarke, the hardest part of playing Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones was navigating the emotionally and physically taxing nature of the show’s more controversial scenes, particularly those involving nudity and sexual violence. These moments required her to step outside her comfort zone and confront personal vulnerability on a public platform. While she found immense strength in learning to advocate for herself and set boundaries, it was her co-stars, like Jason Momoa, who helped make those moments bearable.

The physical challenges, including the dangerous stunts and the impact of her health struggles, also marked her journey, but Clarke’s openness about the emotional toll reveals the depth of her commitment to the character. Daenerys was a role that demanded immense courage and resilience, and Clarke’s ability to balance these on-screen and off-screen challenges solidifies her as one of the most dedicated and respected actors of her generation.