Hollywood star Emilia Clarke has dismissed rumours that the Game of Thrones cast received an exorbitant salary per episode. In a candid interview, the actress, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen across eight series, set the record straight about the cast's earnings and reflected on her Emmy nomination loss.
Salary Rumours Addressed
At the height of its popularity, Game of Thrones attracted up to 25 million viewers per episode. Reports suggested that main cast members earned approximately £222,950 per episode. However, Clarke, now 39, has firmly rejected these claims. Speaking to Variety, she said: "We didn't earn that much. Can you imagine? I'd have been driving a couple of Porsches!" Although she did not disclose her actual earnings, it is known that she was able to pay off her parents' mortgage and that the show significantly boosted her career.
Impact of Fame
When asked how fame affected her life, Clarke remarked: "I spent a lot of time trying to understand it. And then you realise, it's just a formula: the less you're on TV, the less famous you are. It comes and it goes." Since the show ended in 2019, Clarke has taken on roles in various hit productions, including the film Me Before You.
Emmy Disappointment
Despite her success, Clarke admitted feeling disappointed about not winning an Emmy Award. In 2019, she was nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Drama for the final series of Game of Thrones but lost to British actress Jodie Comer for her role in Killing Eve. Clarke confessed: "I'm embarrassed to admit that not winning an Emmy was a really significant thing." She skipped the afterparties, thinking to herself: "Everyone's over Game of Thrones now – you're old news. Because clearly, I have a 13-year-old's idea of success."
