Emilia Clarke has said she struggled with feelings of sadness during the success of Game of Thrones.
From 2011-2019, Emilia played Daenerys Targaryen on all eight seasons of the blockbuster fantasy series.
However her time came to a fatal end when she was stabbed to death by her lover (and nephew) Jon Snow (Kit Harington).
Now Emilia has said that throughout filming the show over eight years, she was balancing becoming a household name with difficult circumstances in her personal life.
Reflecting on that time recently, the actress, 36, has said that it is an experience she is still processing.
‘There were times when I was really sad on that show, just simply because I was a young woman in her 20s,’ she explained.
During the years she was on the series, Emilia experienced two aneurysms as well as the death of her father, who died from cancer in 2016.
She also had to learn how to navigate the sudden fame that came with being on one of the biggest shows on TV.
‘All of that happening while Game of Thrones was happening, it sometimes could be very confusing,’ she added when speaking to the LA Times.
However, upon reflection, she’s said she does appreciate being a part of the show, and what it did for her career.
‘It’s not a shabby role to be associated with. Daenerys, I hope, is associated with a certain calibre of work, so lucky me that that’s the case,’ she said.
‘As long as people don’t ask me about nudity.’
Despite the massive success of Game of Thrones, Emilia recently admitted she didn’t want to watch its just as celebrated prequel series, House of the Dragon.
‘I just can’t do it,’ she told Variety, during an appearance at Sundance Film Festival.
‘No! Can you [forgive me]?’
She continued: ‘It’s too weird. I’m so happy it’s happening. I’m over the moon about all the awards… I just can’t do it. It’s so weird. It’s so strange.’
Explaining how it felt like attending a ‘school reunion that’s not your year’, Emilia added she was ‘avoiding it’.
Game of Thrones is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW.
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