Emilia Clarke’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

Kicking off her career in 2009, Emilia Clarke became one of the most popular actresses in the world, appearing in one of the biggest shows of all time, and a handful of great movies and other shows. The British actress rose to prominence with her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the monumental HBO show, Game of Thrones. The once unknown actress was now one of the biggest stars in the world, opening her up to a lot of exciting roles going forward.

After Game of Thrones thrust her into the spotlight, Clarke began appearing as significant characters in several other big projects, including Me Before You, Last Christmas, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Secret Invasion, and Terminator Genisys. Emilia Clarke has remained busy throughout her career, and has some significant roles coming up, including an Amazon Prime series called Criminal, and another one for Peacock called Ponies.

10. Secret Invasion (2023)

Emilia Clarke as G’iah

In 2023, Emilia Clarke added another major franchise to her filmography, this time playing G’iah in the MCU series, Secret Invasion. While one of the lesser MCU projects, Secret Invasion is a decent enough superhero thriller, with a solid performance from both Samuel L. Jackson and Emilia Clarke. The MCU had been quietly building up to the show’s narrative for a while, and with some loose threads left after the series, it will be interesting to see where they take some characters next.

Starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn, Emilia Clarke plays a significant role in the series, as G’iah eventually becomes a Super-Skrull. Like most of her performances, Emilia Clarke is great in Secret Invasion, having more to work with than most of the other characters in the series. Having Clarke play G’iah could be important for the appeal of the character if she reappears in the MCU, given how well-liked the actress is.

9. Terminator Genisys (2015)

Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor

As Game of Thrones became one of the biggest TV shows of all time, Emilia Clarke was able to land the role of Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys, another installment of the long-running science-fiction series started by James Cameron in the 80s. Like Secret Invasion, Terminator Genisys isn’t one of the best entries in its franchise, but it is serviceable, attempting to do a lot of new things in the franchise.

Emilia Clarke had massive shoes to fill as Sarah Connor, one of the greatest female action characters of all time, with a committed performance by Linda Hamilton in the role in the first two films. Clarke did an admirable job, all things considered, and was one of the biggest highlights of the entire film. Though not as “tough” as Hamilton’s Connor, Emilia Clarke brought a new energy to the character, not content to just rehash what came before.

8. Robot Chicken (2016)

Emilia Clarke as Bridget

Premiering in 2005, Robot Chicken was a staple of Adult Swim throughout its run, as the often hilarious stop-motion sketch comedy series has continuously tapped into the pop culture zeitgeist for nearly two decades. In fact, the series continues to this day, featuring a variety of silly scenarios and creative bits. In 2016, Emilia Clarke took on a role in one of the show’s episodes, adding to her varied credits.

Though she only appeared in one episode of the show, Emilia Clarke has a short, but memorable scene as Bridget, one of the members of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. In the episode, it is revealed that Bridget had relieved herself in the pants when it was her turn to wear them, and seems to be proud of that fact. It is a silly sketch, but Clarke’s over-the-top performance fits well with the tone of the show.

7. The Amazing Maurice (2022)

Emilia Clarke as Malicia

Released in 2022, The Amazing Maurice is an animated adaptation of the novel The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett. It tells the story of a ginger cat who befriends a group of rats by coming up with a money-making scheme. It’s a fun premise and The Amazing Maurice takes advantage of that, being an entertaining, family-oriented animated film that actually ends up being quite charming.

Emilia Clarke has acted in a variety of voice roles over her career, and she is once again fantastic in The Amazing Maurice as Malicia, the heroine of the film. Clarke brings a lot of her charm into the role of Malicia, whose quick wit and wild antics make for a fun character to watch throughout the film. With The Amazing Maurice being one of her latest voice-action performances, Clarke has shown she is capable of doing even more voice work.

6. The Pod Generation (2023)

Emilia Clarke as Rachel Novy

Emilia Clarke’s undeniable charm makes her an easy candidate to lead romantic comedies, and she has done so throughout her career, with one of her most recent efforts being in the 2023 film, The Pod Generation. Set in a not-so-distant future, The Pod Generation explores the idea of parenthood as technology allows couples to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or pods. It’s a touching film that features a pair of fantastic leads.

Clarke stars as Rachel Novy alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Alvy Novy, a couple who decide to have a child. What makes The Pod Generation a great film is the chemistry the two actors have together, able to have wonderful performances with equal humor and heart. Emilia Clarke is especially a standout throughout, and her character explores some complex issues that come up with being a parent.

5. Futurama (2013)

Emilia Clarke as Marianne

Futurama has been a long-running on-and-off animated comedy series since 1999. It has been well-received, as it explores the adventures of Fry, Leela, and Bender, who are employees at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company. Futurama is largely considered one of the best animated TV shows ever, full of genuine heart and incredible humor. After nine seasons, it still feels like there are plenty more stories to tell for the series.

Emilia Clarke isn’t a staple of Futurama or anything. In fact, she only appeared in one episode back in 2013, titled “Stench and Stenchibility.” Emilia Clarke plays Marianne in the episode, a one-off character who is the girlfriend of Dr. John A. Zoidberg, in what was one of the last episodes of the entire series at the time, before it was revived. Marianne is a kind, empathetic character, and Emilia Clarke voices her to perfection.

4. Last Christmas (2019)

Emilia Clarke as Kate Andrich

While she is largely known for Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke began to make a name for herself in the romantic comedy space, which included the 2019 holiday film, Last Christmas. Inspired by George Michaels and Wham!, Last Christmas is a heartfelt, and often very funny romantic comedy that is sure to be a tearjerker as it reaches its climax. Not only is it underrated in Clarke’s filmography, but it is also underrated as a Christmas film overall, even though it is undeniably charming.

Emilia Clarke is magnetic in Last Christmas, playing Kate, a disillusioned Christmas store worker just trying to make it day-to-day. Kate is a lovable mess for most of Last Christmas, and Clarke’s committed performance makes her incredibly charming. Her chemistry with Henry Golding is fantastic throughout the entire film, and by the end of it, it’s hard not to be in love with Emilia Clarke’s character.

3. Me Before You (2016)

Emilia Clarke as Louisa Clark

Emilia Clarke is incredibly funny and charming, which is a drastic contrast to what most people think of her as an actor, due to her Game of Thrones fame. This is best seen in her various other roles, including in Me Before You, a charming romantic drama that ends up being a very moving tearjerker by the time the credits appear. Based on the novel of the same name, Me Before You tells of a tragic love between a recently paralyzed man and his caretaker.

Emilia Clarke plays Louisa Clark, the quirky, bubbly caretaker of Sam Claflin’s Will Traynor. The two actors’ chemistry is undeniable, and Louisa is bursting from the seams with so much charm. At the time of Me Before You, Game of Thrones was essentially at the height of its popularity, and seeing such a drastic turn for Clarke was impressive, as Me Before You is one of the best performances in her career.

2. Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Emilia Clarke as Qi’ra

Releasing just half a year after Star Wars: The Last Jedi became extremely divisive, Solo: A Star Wars Story suffered because of that, failing to break even at the box office. Despite that, the Han Solo prequel film is actually a fantastic entry into the franchise as a whole, and one of the most underrated Star Wars projects that Disney has made. It captures the spirit of the original trilogy perfectly.

Despite being the backstory for Han Solo, Emilia Clarke plays a new character in the film, Qi’ra. Friends with Han for most of their lives, Qi’ra is the primary love interest of the iconic character, but by the end of the film, she makes a tragic decision, choosing to betray Han and look out for herself. Clarke is great as the character, and it is a shame that she might not play her again, given that Disney seems to have no plans to follow up on the dangling story threads the movie left off with.

1. Game Of Thrones (2011-2019)

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen

Few actors could say that one of their earliest projects is also incredibly important for pop culture as a whole, shaping an entire industry due to how groundbreaking it was. Emilia Clarke can, though, given she was one of the most significant pieces of Game of Thrones for all eight seasons. It’s hard to overstate just how much of an impact Game of Thrones made on the television industry, and even though it ended on a divisive note, it is still considered one of the greatest shows ever made.

Emilia Clarke took the world by storm as Daenerys Targaryen, Mother of Dragons and thought to be heir to the Iron Throne. Dany became one of the most popular TV characters of all time throughout the show’s run, with audiences watching her amass power and influence over the course of her journey. Game of Thrones is a monumental moment in television and Emilia Clarke rose to the occasion beautifully, portraying a character that continues to endure to this day.