Emily Clarke She gained significant recognition thanks to the role of Daenerys Targaryen, the Mother of Dragons, in the TV series adaptation of George RR Martin's fantasy novel. The character she portrayed, with long blonde hair and an extraordinary character, will forever remain in the hearts of fans of the saga. However, the actress herself is reluctant to reveal that due to health problems, she was afraid of ending her life's opportunity even before it began.
In 2011, when “Game of Thrones” premiered its first season, the star suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while training at one of the London gyms. Only a small number of people knew about the accident. Emilia was very keen on discretion. She quickly returned to the shooting set.
“The first fear we all had was, ‘Oh my God, am I going to get fired?’ Will I get fired because they think I can't do the job?” – Clark confesses in an interview for the Big Issue.
“When you have a brain injury, it changes your self-esteem so dramatically that all the insecurity you feel going into work quadruples overnight.”
The 37-year-old star talks about the fear that accompanied her in her everyday life and the fear of deterioration of her health as a result of work intensity or stress. She admits that she has come to terms with the idea of dying in front of cameras, on live television.
In 2013, doctors diagnosed the actress with a second episode of brain hemorrhage, from which she also successfully recovered. Both cases made Emilia realize how traumatic and lonely health problems can be and how big a problem the lack of medical rehabilitation services is. She decided to take matters into her own hands.
In the same year that the last season of “Game of Thrones” was broadcast, Clark, together with her beloved mother Jennifer, founded the SameYou charity foundation. Since 2019, he has been helping people rehabilitate after serious brain injuries. For their services this year, women even received the Order of the British Empire – one of the most valuable English distinctions.
“It gave me a superpower,” he now sums up proudly.