Emilia Clarke Says She’s Done With This Genre After Years in the Spotlight

Emilia Clarke is ready to move on from fantasy roles after spending nearly a decade in one of the biggest shows in TV history. While speaking to The New York Times during promotion for her new Peacock spy series Ponies, Clarke said she does not plan to return to the fantasy world anytime soon. After eight years playing Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s Game of Thrones, she feels that chapter is closed. You’re highly unlikely to see me get on a dragon, or even in the same frame as a dragon, ever again, she told the outlet.

Clarke became a global star as the Mother of Dragons and earned four Emmy nominations for the role. Her character’s journey ended in the show’s final season, when Daenerys suddenly turned into a villain and was killed in the series finale. That ending shocked many viewers, and Clarke has openly shared how hard it was for her to process it. In a past interview, Clarke said she was completely unprepared for Daenerys’ fate when she read the final scripts. What, what, what, WHAT!? she said at the time. Because it comes out of f***** nowhere. I’m flabbergasted. Absolutely never saw that coming.

She said the news hit her so hard that she left her house for hours and walked until her feet were blistered. I cried. And I went for a walk… I didn’t come back for five hours, she recalled. She also leaned on her family during that moment. Clarke said she called her mother for support and struggled with how fans would judge Daenerys. I read the scripts and I don’t want to tell you what happens but can you just talk me off this ledge? It really messed me up, she said.

Many fans were upset with how rushed Daenerys’ turn felt in the final season. In a 2020 interview with The Sunday Times, Clarke said she was frustrated that the show focused more on big moments than character depth near the end. A year later, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she had made peace with how the series ended. I really have. I really, really, really have, she said.

Clarke explained that it is still hard for her to look at the show without personal emotions attached. I think it’ll take me to my 90s to be able to objectively see what ‘Game of Thrones’ was, she said, adding that she now views the franchise with calm and acceptance.

She has also said she understands why fans were angry. In an interview with MTV, Clarke admitted, I get why people are pissed. Still, she defended her commitment to the role. You can’t do justice to the character that you poured your blood, sweat and tears into for a decade without getting on the same page, she said.

Now, with new projects ahead and a clear break from fantasy, Clarke seems focused on trying different roles and leaving dragons behind. Her latest venture, the 1970s espionage thriller Ponies, premieres on Peacock on January 15. Set in 1977 Moscow, the eight-episode series follows two widows who work as secretaries at the American Embassy before becoming CIA operatives. Clarke stars as Bea, an over-educated Russian speaker, alongside Haley Lu Richardson and Adrian Lester.

Beyond her work on Ponies, Clarke has been busy expanding her range in both film and television. She is set to star in the upcoming psychological drama Next Life, a project she also produced. Between her new focus on gritty thrillers and her ongoing advocacy for brain injury recovery through her charity, SameYou, Clarke is clearly carving out a legacy that goes far beyond the Iron Throne.

Do you think Emilia Clarke is making the right choice by stepping away from the fantasy genre, or were you still holding out hope for a Daenerys cameo in a future spin-off? Share your thoughts in the comments.