Emilia Clarke Reveals She Broke a Rib Filming Intimate Scenes for ‘Ponies’

Emilia Clarke has shared that filming her new TV series Ponies was more painful than she expected. The actor said she injured herself while shooting intimate scenes for the show, which is now streaming on Peacock.

Clarke spoke about the experience in an interview with The Wrap. She said the injury happened while filming scenes that required long hours and repeated takes. “I broke a rib that day,” she said while describing how demanding the shoot was. She added that the scenes involved several co-stars and had to be repeated over a short period of time. “Three men, in a number of hours,” she explained.

Her co-star Haley Lu Richardson also confirmed the story. Richardson said Clarke really did get hurt and pointed out how physically tough it was for her. “She really did. She’s such a tiny little sensitive body,” she said.

Clarke later joked about having to explain the injury to her doctor. She said the rib was not fully broken but was pushed out of place. “It didn’t like, fully break,” she said. “It just popped out a little bit.”

Ponies is a spy drama set in 1977. The story follows two women working at the US embassy in Moscow. After their husbands die under strange circumstances, they are pulled into secret CIA work. Clarke plays Bea, while Richardson plays Twila. The series was created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson and premiered on Peacock on January 15, 2026.

The show was filmed in Budapest and features a supporting cast that includes Adrian Lester and Nicholas Podany. Clarke is also an executive producer on the series.

Stories like this show how tough filming can be, even when scenes look simple on screen. Actors often push their bodies more than people realize. It also raises questions about safety and limits on set. What do you think about actors risking injuries for their roles? Share your thoughts in the comments.