Even years after Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke still remembers the sting of being told she wasn’t good at speaking Dothraki — by none other than the man who invented the language. In a recent interview, Clarke revealed that the linguist publicly critiqued her pronunciation, leaving her baffled and frustrated. Her candid comments highlight the challenges of performing in a constructed language under the scrutiny of its creator.
Quick read:
- Clarke says the Game of Thrones linguist criticized her Dothraki.
- She recalls being told she “didn’t do it very well.”
- Clarke defended herself, saying she only had what was given to her.
Clarke on the criticism
Clarke explained that the critique didn’t come from fans but from the language’s creator himself. “No, it wasn’t some people on the street, it was the man who made up the language. I know! … And I do it on camera and he’s like in an interview being like, she didn’t do it very well. I started it. Surely you can’t go about how I did it. That’s it, it’s made up!” Clarke added that the linguist claimed she hadn’t gotten much of it right, which she dismissed with a shrug: “Oh, whatever. I’m like, all I have is what you’ve given me.”
Emilia Clarke shares the hilarious reality of learning a new language for Game of Thrones😂⚔️ pic.twitter.com/iG5QGdmooV
— Virgin Radio UK (@VirginRadioUK) May 15, 2026
Why it matters
Clarke’s remarks underline the unique pressures of performing in a fictional language. While Dothraki became a hallmark of Game of Thrones’ immersive world‑building, actors had to learn and deliver lines convincingly under tight production schedules. Clarke’s frustration reflects the difficulty of balancing authenticity with performance, especially when the language’s creator publicly weighed in.
