Emilia Clarke has spoken honestly about her future choices. And it sounds like fantasy is no longer on the list. The Game of Thrones star says it is very unlikely she will ever return to the genre again. Especially anything involving dragons.
Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen from 2011 to 2019. The show became a global phenomenon. But its ending sparked huge debate. Daenerys turning into the Mad Queen shocked many viewers. It also deeply affected Clarke herself.
Emilia Clarke on dragons and fantasy roles
While promoting her new spy thriller Ponies, Clarke shared her thoughts. She said fans should not expect to see her near a dragon ever again. Not riding one. Not standing next to one. Not even in the same shot.
Her words were clear and firm. She feels that chapter of her life is closed. After spending nearly a decade in that world, she seems ready to move on completely.
Emilia Clarke struggled with Daenerys’ ending
Clarke has spoken before about how hard the final scripts were to process. She said the ending came out of nowhere for her. She was shocked. Confused. And deeply upset.
She revealed that she cried after reading the scripts. She left her house and walked for hours. She came back with blisters on her feet. She did not know how she would go on with it.
She also leaned heavily on her family. She called her mother and asked for help coping. She asked her mother and brother strange questions about Daenerys. She wanted to know if people would still see her character as good. Her family noticed something was wrong.
Daenerys was not the only storyline fans struggled with. Many viewers felt the final season left too much unresolved. Several character arcs ended in ways people did not expect or accept.
Game of Thrones ended in 2018. But the franchise lives on. Prequels like House of the Dragon have kept the fantasy world alive. More shows are on the way. Emilia Clarke, however, seems ready to leave Westeros behind for good.