Emilia Clarke has disclosed that she experienced only two weeks of respite over a four-year period while starring in the acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones. The British actor, renowned for her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen, admitted she felt compelled to accept every work opportunity that came her way, leaving her with minimal downtime.
A Relentless Schedule
Clarke confessed that the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 marked the first time she had truly rested since she was 19 years old. Prior to that, her schedule was unrelenting, with work commitments consuming her life. She attributed her inability to decline offers to a persistent sense of imposter syndrome, which was exacerbated by several profound personal events.
Life-Altering Experiences
The actor faced two brain aneurysms in 2012 and 2013, each requiring surgery, and the loss of her father to cancer in 2016. Clarke described these as deeply transformative moments that coincided with the peak of her career. She felt that nothing was real and that her success could vanish at any moment, driving her to keep working incessantly.
Currently, Clarke stars in the new Sky series Ponies, an American spy thriller. The show has received positive reviews, with particular praise for the on-screen chemistry between Clarke and her co-star Haley Lu Richardson.
