Emilia Clarke may have become one of the most recognizable faces of ‘Game of Thrones‘, but her journey as Daenerys Targaryen did not begin so smoothly.
Back then, the actor who played the Mother of Dragons was a newbie and hardly had any idea how such big franchises usually work. And eventually, Clarke ended up embarrassed, emotional, and in tears after a horse-riding scene went wrong.
The ‘Game Of Thrones’ Scene That Put Emilia Clarke Under Pressure Right Away
At the time Clarke appeared in ‘Game of Thrones,’ her acting credits included one episode of ‘Doctors‘ in 2009 and a short film titled ‘Drop the Dog‘ from the same year. On top of that, the scene made things even harder because the crew put her on a horse.
For a young actress starting one of her first major jobs, that was not an easy way to begin. She had to perform while riding through a bamboo field in Belfast, and the rain made the situation even worse. Clarke tried to get through the scene, but the horse-riding moment did not go as planned.
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In a 2019 interview for the ‘Game of Thrones‘ YouTube channel, Clarke spoke about that difficult first day. She said, “I fell off a f—ing horse,” while remembering the stressful moment. The accident happened during the horse-riding scene, and it left her deeply embarrassed.
Clarke then explained why the moment felt so hard for her. She said, “This is my first job, this is like the first thing I ever did, and they stuck me on a horse. In a bamboo field in Belfast, and it’s raining.” The weather, the location, and the pressure of her first big job made the scene even harder.
After she fell, Clarke tried to continue the scene, but she could not make it work. She asked the crew to stop filming. Then she saw how many people were watching her, and the humiliation became too much. She recalled, “I’m like, ‘Oh my God, there’s like the whole crew,’ and I just cried. That was my first day on ‘Game of Thrones.‘”
Emilia Clarke Still Became One Of The Show’s Biggest Stars
That first day could have hurt Clarke’s confidence badly. After all, she was joining a huge fantasy series with a big cast, tough filming locations, and a character who would become very important to the story.
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But Clarke did not give up. She continued playing Daenerys and gave the character strength, emotion, fear, anger, and heart. Over the course of eight seasons, Daenerys changed from a young woman controlled by other men into the Dragon Queen. Sure, being the descendent of the Mad King doomed her fate, but Daenerys will always be one of the most powerful characters in Westeros.
Even today, Clarke’s work as Daenerys remains one of the most memorable parts of the show. Her first day ended in tears, but she stayed with the role and built a career-changing performance.
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