AIR and I think that that’s unique,” assesses Clarke. “It’s a political show and also a fantastical show, set in a fantastical time in a fantastical world. But you are putting women in a position of power. So for that to have any resonance for any woman in society – who is in a position of power, or is looking to be in a position of power – then it’s beautiful that the parallel is being drawn.” They are incredibly different worlds, she continues, “But the essentials – the fundamentals of having an idea, believing it in enough to have people back you, and then to believe in that idea and promote yourself as someone who can lead bodies of people – are of course a similar thing. In our fantastical world the gender divide is what it is, in our society it is also what it is. I think there’s some parallels that you can draw, for sure. Though with less fire, less death.” Such a profoundly written character, played out over eight seasons, was bound to seep into Clarke’s own real life persona, too. “To put it one way, it has sort of allowed me to ‘fake it ‘til you make it’. A lot of Daenerys’ scenes have been in front of a lot of people, giving big speeches so just on a very practical level, me as Emilia having to get up and speak to 300 extras in a fake language, really convincing them of something, requires a lot of strength,” she explains. “Daenerys has asked me to do that at each turn. They have asked me to walk through fire, legitimately walk through fire. And I’m definitely one to do as one’s told: as an actor you learn lines and stand on a mark. So when they ask you to walk through fire and you do, there’s a part of you that goes, ‘I just did that! That’s cool. That’s really cool.’” It has been a wild ride – for both Daenerys and Clarke. “I mean there’s been genuinely so many crazy moments, she says, adding with a laugh, “I don’t want to bring it up again, but there was this Brad Pitt thing that happened to me…”. She’s talking about the time Brad Pitt bid (unsuccessfully) to watch Game of Thrones with her, at Sean Penn’s annual charity gala auction in aid of Haiti. “I was literally thinking, ‘This is not even happening, this is some crazy dream’ and I’m going to wake up, 12 years old, saying ‘That was a good dream.’ It [the auction] got up to some high numbers and there was Brad Pitt leaning back in his chair and bidding. It was incredible… So that was one of the more-recent fabulous moments that would have never happened,” says a tickled Clarke. She is not necessarily turning her back on the fantasy genre, though. Her performances thus far have led to silver screen opportunities such as starring opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator Genisys, and playing Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Her approach is to ‘never say never’ to anything, she admits. “As an actor I think it’s important to keep doing as many different things as possible to just find more textures to your life and to your skills, and I think the only way you can do that is by trying everything on for size,” Clarke professes. “So I’m not saying no, I’m just probably not saying it will be my next thing.” But it is worth remembering that there is a woman beneath the wig; Clarke memorably said, around the season three mark, that nobody would recognise her without the wardrobe prop. “I get very guarded about my anonymity. You know, I like going to the butchers and having a chat and it being a normal thing. I like human interaction, I value it, I appreciate it, it’s what makes me feel happy. So when that’s taken in that way, of someone looking at you in a different guise, it can be incredibly difficult – sort of anxiety inducing. And so the recognition has increased, for sure. Obviously there’s no getting away from it, but I think that you can live a life that is free of the trappings of paparazzi and that kind of thing.” And the actor is grateful for the recognition it has bestowed upon her life. “It’s opened a lot of doors that would remain firmly shut to me otherwise. It still is incredibly difficult to make anything, even if you’re Brad Pitt,” she explains. “It’s still difficult to go, ‘Hey I have this idea, give me some money and we can put it into a thing, and people will watch it and it’s sort of the biggest gamble you’ll ever take.’” What it has done, though, “Is allowed me to have some doors opened, and the tagline it comes with when I’m walking into that room is ‘strong, female protagonist’. That gives me goosebumps; it’s mad. I could never have in a million years thought that would be the case. It feels good. It feels very, very good.” I think there’s “ some parallels that you can draw between the show and real life. Though with less fire, less death ” 46
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