Emilia Clarke reveals how she 'cheated death' twice on set
Clarke survived two brain haemorrhages while starring in Game of Thrones and has spoken openly about both
- Emilia Clarke admitted not winning an Emmy was deeply significant to her
- The actress survived two brain haemorrhages during her Game of Thrones years
- Her first haemorrhage occurred after filming the show's debut season in London
Emilia Clarke has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of never winning an Emmy Award despite receiving four nominations for her celebrated role in Game of Thrones, whilst also reflecting on how she twice came close to death during her time on the show.
Clarke, 39, portrayed Daenerys Targaryen in the critically acclaimed HBO fantasy drama series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss — a role that earned her widespread recognition but no Emmy win.
"Embarrassed to admit it"
In a recent interview with Variety, the English actress was candid about how much the losses had affected her. "I'm embarrassed to admit that not winning an Emmy was a really significant thing," she said.
When the show's run concluded at the Microsoft Theatre, Clarke recalled feeling as though her moment had passed. "Everyone's over Game of Thrones now — you're old news," she thought at the time.
Cheating death — twice
Beyond the professional heartbreak, Clarke has previously spoken about facing genuine life-or-death moments during the course of the show. The actress shared that she "cheated death" after surviving two separate brain haemorrhages.
Appearing on the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, the Terminator 5 star reflected on the psychological weight of that experience. "I was just convinced that I had cheated death and I was meant to die. Every day, that's all I could think about," she said.
A haemorrhage after season one
Clarke suffered her first brain haemorrhage shortly after completing work on the first season of Game of Thrones. She lost consciousness whilst working out at a gym in London.
Describing the experience, she recalled: "The closest thing to describe it is imagine an elastic band just snapping around your brain. This insane pressure."
A second aneurysm in New York
Clarke later suffered a second aneurysm whilst she was living in New York and appearing in a Broadway production.
Her doctors had identified the aneurysm during treatment for the first haemorrhage, and they have continued to monitor it through regular scans since.