Emilia Clarke has shared her profound concerns that any children she might have in the future could inherit the life-threatening hereditary condition that has nearly claimed her life on two separate occasions. The acclaimed actress, now 39, has endured two brain haemorrhages caused by this serious medical condition, with the first occurring when she was just 24 years old.
Living with a Hereditary Condition
The Game of Thrones star, who achieved global fame through her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in the hit HBO fantasy series, has spoken candidly about the reality of living with this inherited weakness in her arteries. During a recent appearance on the Dear Chelsea podcast, Clarke revealed the potential impact this condition could have on her future family.
'I was born with a weakness in my arteries that's hereditary,' she explained. 'If I were to have a baby, I'd be like, "Get that baby in an MRI machine immediately so I can see if it has it".'
Medical History and Survival
The Me Before You actress experienced her first brain aneurysm in 2011, shortly after completing filming for the inaugural series of Game of Thrones. 'I was in the gym. It was obviously a massive shock,' she recalled of the terrifying incident that led to a three-week hospital stay.
'They couldn't tell HBO for two weeks until they knew I wasn't going to die,' Clarke revealed, highlighting the severity of her condition at that time. Following this initial medical emergency, she suffered from aphasia, temporarily losing her ability to recall her own name or produce coherent speech.
Two years later, the London-born actress endured a second aneurysm after a surgical procedure went wrong, resulting in what she described as 'a much bigger bleed' that required surgeons to cut open her skull.
Current Health Status and Monitoring
Despite these traumatic experiences, Clarke maintains a positive outlook on her current health situation. 'I'm in a very good spot,' she stated. 'I get my brain scanned every year. I'm in the, like, 0.001 percent of people who survive what I've had without any real repercussions.'
The actress follows specific lifestyle guidelines to manage her condition, advising: 'Don't take drugs, don't do stuff that's going to raise your blood pressure, don't work too hard.' However, she acknowledges the limitations, adding: 'But essentially... there's nothing [to prevent it].'
Reflections on Healthcare and Work Culture
Clarke expressed deep gratitude for the National Health Service that saved her life, recalling her hospital experience: 'They saved my life, the incredible NHS. I had like six weeks [in hospital] and then I was on the press tour - my first ever press tour - with morphine.'
The actress also highlighted concerning aspects of pre-pandemic work culture in the entertainment industry, noting that COVID-19 lockdowns represented 'the first time I'd ever, ever, ever had anyone on any set be like, "You're not well? Do you need to come in? You don't have to work today."'
She disclosed a pattern of working through serious injuries, listing: 'Brain haemorrhages, broken ribs, broken hips. I did a whole job without realising I'd broken my hip. The show must go on.'
These revelations include breaking a rib while filming intimate scenes for the new spy thriller Ponies, and fracturing her hip in 2015 during a dance session with her Terminator Genisys co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Throughout her health challenges, Clarke credits her work on Game of Thrones as a crucial support system, stating: 'It was super, super intense, but having Game of Thrones was the thing that got me through.'
