Emilia Clarke reveals she froze her eggs at 35 amid health struggles

Emilia Clarke has revealed that she froze her eggs at the age of 35, saying the decision was part of her long-term plans to preserve her chance of becoming a mother while navigating years of personal and medical challenges.

The 39-year-old Game of Thrones star, who currently appears in the series Ponies, spoke candidly in an interview with The Times, explaining that egg freezing has become a relatively common choice among women approaching their mid-30s.

“You go through certain universal moments, like I was 35 when I froze my eggs. A lot of other women around that age are freezing their eggs,” she said.

Clarke also reflected on a difficult period in her life marked by serious health struggles, including two brain haemorrhages, as well as the death of her father, describing it as one of the most emotionally challenging chapters of her life.

“I did go through a number of years where I wanted to shut my front door and sit in my nest,” she said, adding that she initially felt overwhelmed by both her health and her career pressures.

The actress admitted she had little understanding of the demands of the entertainment industry when she first rose to fame, and said her early success was followed by a series of deeply traumatic experiences.

“I had this life-threatening brain injury and I was so unwell and I kept thinking I was going to die. And then my dad died and that was bigger than the brain haemorrhages,” she explained.

Clarke said she is now in a more stable emotional place, noting that it took years to process everything she endured.

“I’m just going to be wildly honest: it’s been years of me sitting with a lot of pain,” she said, adding that she eventually realised she had made it through the most difficult phase.

The actress has previously spoken about her desire to have children, saying in earlier interviews that she is more focused on motherhood than marriage and hopes to build a family one day.