Emilia Clarke’s breakout role as Daenerys Targaryen in the fantasy epic Game of Thrones earned her critical acclaim, fans’ love and support, and multiple Emmy nominations.
One would think these achievements would be enough to bring Clarke back to Daenerys, but the story is altogether different. After being involved in the genre for nearly a decade and witnessing the transition of Mother of Dragon to Mad Queen, it’s safe to say the show messed her up pretty good, so much so that Clarke has a strong opinion about not being part of the fantasy genre.
In conversation with The New York Times, Clarke shared her blunt thoughts about avoiding a return to the fantasy world, saying, “You’re highly unlikely to see me get on a dragon, or even in the same frame as a dragon, ever again.”
Clarke was just 22 and had only three roles in her career when cast as Daenerys in 2011 in the show. Her nearly decade-long run, from 2011 to 2019, wrapped with an infamous ending, regarded as the worst TV ending ever, which slammed the door shut on her character on a disturbing note, triggering a “full mental breakdown.” She told The Daily Beast she explained, “It was the first time in my professional life that I stopped. I had a full mental breakdown. It was almost as if the timing of the pandemic was bang on.”
Fan’s renewed interest in Clarke’s return comes from HBO’s content slate, which is once again delivering a ticket to Westeros with its spin-off series Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, set to premiere on January 18, 2026, on HBO.
