Emilia Clarke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Emilia Clarke MBE
Clarke in 2023
Born	Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke (1986-10-23) 23 October 1986 (age 38) London, England
Alma mater	Drama Centre London
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2009–present
Notable work	Full list
Awards	Full list
Signature

Emilia Clarke is an English actress. She is famous for playing Daenerys Targaryen in the fantasy TV series Game of Thrones (2011–2019). For this role, she was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards.

She also played Sarah Connor in the science fiction movie Terminator: Genisys (2015). You might also know her as Qi'ra from Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). Emilia Clarke has also starred in romantic dramas like Me Before You (2016) and Last Christmas (2019).

Clarke studied acting at Drama Centre London. She first appeared on TV in the show Doctors in 2009. She also acted on Broadway in the play Breakfast at Tiffany's (2013). More recently, she played G'iah in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Secret Invasion (2023).

Early Life and Education

St Edward's School Oxford, where Clarke went to school

Emilia Clarke was born in London on October 23, 1986. She grew up in Oxfordshire, England. Her father, Peter, was a sound engineer for theatre shows. Her mother, Jennifer, is a businesswoman and helps lead a charity for young people in Ghana. Emilia has an older brother, Bennett, who also works in entertainment. He was part of the camera team for Game of Thrones.

Emilia became interested in acting when she was only three years old. She saw a musical called Show Boat and loved it. When she was ten, her father took her to an audition for a musical in London's West End.

She went to private schools, Rye St Antony School and St Edward's School, Oxford. She finished school in 2005. Emilia has said that even though she went to "posh" schools, she didn't feel like a "posh girl." She often felt like an outsider with some of her friends.

After school, Clarke tried to get into several famous drama schools but wasn't accepted at first. She worked and traveled for a bit. Then, she was accepted into Drama Centre London and graduated in 2009.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out (2000–2010)

Emilia Clarke began acting in school plays. She performed in Twelfth Night and West Side Story at St Edward's School. After drama school, she worked other jobs while auditioning for acting roles.

Her first TV role was a small part in the British show Doctors in 2009. Her first professional movie role was in the TV film Triassic Attack in 2010. Even though the movie got bad reviews, a film magazine called her a "UK Star of Tomorrow."

Game of Thrones and Global Fame (2011–2019)

Clarke at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2010, Emilia Clarke was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. This show is based on the popular books by George R. R. Martin. Daenerys is one of the last members of a powerful family, House Targaryen. This family used to rule the land of Westeros.

Another actress was first chosen for the role, but Emilia took over when the pilot episode was re-filmed. The show aired from 2011 to 2019. Emilia played Daenerys in all eight seasons.

Critics praised Emilia's acting as Daenerys. Her character changed a lot, from a scared girl to a strong leader. Reviewers called her performances "mesmerising" and "riveting." Emilia said this role helped her avoid typical roles for young British actresses. She was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress. In 2019, she was nominated for Best Lead Actress.

She also voiced Daenerys in a video game in 2014. In 2019, she made a fun appearance on Saturday Night Live. Emilia has said that being known as the "mother of dragons" is "quite wonderful."

Different Roles and Movies (2012–2021)

Emilia Clarke's first film role was in the short movie Shackled (2012). That same year, she starred in the comedy film Spike Island. This movie is about friends trying to get to a concert.

From March to April 2013, she acted in a Broadway play called Breakfast at Tiffany's. Later that year, she was in the crime drama Dom Hemingway with Jude Law.

In 2013, she was chosen to play Sarah Connor in the science fiction action film Terminator Genisys (2015). The movie also starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. It earned a lot of money worldwide. Emilia was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for her role.

She then starred in Me Before You (2016) with Sam Claflin. This film was a big success at the box office. In 2017, she played Nurse Verena in the thriller Voice from the Stone.

In 2016, Emilia was cast in Solo: A Star Wars Story. The movie came out in May 2018. She played Qi'ra, a friend of Han Solo. Critics liked her performance in the film. She also starred in the film Above Suspicion (2019).

In late 2019, Clarke starred with Henry Golding in the romantic comedy Last Christmas. The film was written by Emma Thompson. Despite mixed reviews, Emilia's acting was praised, and the movie did well.

In 2020, Emilia played Nina in a play called The Seagull in London. The show was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic but started again in 2022. Her performance was highly praised. In 2021, Clarke also published her first comic book series, M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, which she helped write.

Recent Projects (2022–Present)

In 2022, Emilia Clarke voiced a character named Malicia in the animated film The Amazing Maurice. In January 2023, she starred in and helped produce The Pod Generation, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

In April 2021, Clarke joined the cast of Secret Invasion for Disney+. This show is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and premiered on June 21, 2023. She is also set to play Irish author Constance Lloyd in a film called An Ideal Wife.

Other Activities

Advertising and Charity Work

Emilia Clarke has worked with several well-known brands. In 2015, she became the face of Dior's jewelry collection. In 2018, she was announced as an ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana's "The Only One" perfume. In 2020, Clinique chose her as their first global ambassador.

Emilia also supports many charities. In 2011, she became an ambassador for the SMA UK Trust, which raises money for research into a condition called spinal muscular atrophy. She also helps Open Door, a group that helps young people get into drama schools.

In 2018, she became the only ambassador for the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). She promised to speak up for nurses and help solve problems in the nursing profession. Emilia also supported the Time's Up initiative, which fights against harassment and unfair treatment in the workplace. She appeared in a short film called Leading Lady Parts to highlight gender inequality in the film industry.

In 2019, Emilia shared that she had suffered two brain aneurysms (a type of brain injury) in 2011 and 2013. After this, she started her own charity called SameYou. This organization helps young people get better after a brain injury or stroke. In 2019, she co-hosted a live stream that raised over £200,000 for SameYou. Fans of Game of Thrones also raised money for her charity.

In 2020, Emilia received an award from the American Brain Foundation for her work in raising awareness about brain injury recovery. In 2024, both Emilia and her mother were honored with the Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for creating SameYou.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emilia started a fundraiser for her charity. She also launched an Instagram series where she read poems to help people feel less lonely. She invited other performers to join and dedicate their readings to charities of their choice.

Filmography

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2012	Shackled	Malu	Short film
	Spike Island	Sally Harris
2013	Dom Hemingway	Evelyn Hemingway
2015	Terminator Genisys	Sarah Connor
2016	Me Before You	Louisa Clark
2017	Voice from the Stone	Verena
2018	Solo: A Star Wars Story	Qi'ra
	Leading Lady Parts	Herself	Short film
2019	Above Suspicion	Susan Smith
	Last Christmas	Katarina "Kate" Andrich
2022	The Amazing Maurice	Malicia	Voice role
2023	The Pod Generation	Rachel Novy	Also executive producer
2024	The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland	Queen of Hearts	Voice role, Also executive producer
2025	The Twits	TBA	Voice role; Post-production
TBA	Next Life	Ivy	Post-production

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Television Shows

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2009	Doctors	Saskia Mayer	Episode: "Empty Nest"
2010	Triassic Attack	Savannah Roundtree	Television film
2011–2019	Game of Thrones	Daenerys Targaryen	Main role; 62 episodes
2013	Futurama	Marianne	Voice role; episode: "Stench and Stenchibility"
2016	Robot Chicken	Bridget	Voice role; episode: "Joel Hurwitz Returns"
2017	Animals	Lumpy	Voice role; episode: "Rats."
2017	Thunderbirds Are Go	Doyle	Voice role; episode: "Rigged for Disaster"
2019	Saturday Night Live	Herself	Episode: "Kit Harington / Sara Bareilles"
2023	Secret Invasion	G'iah	Main role; 6 episodes
TBA	Criminal	Mallory	In production
TBA	Ponies	Bea	In production; also executive producer

Key

Denotes television series that have not yet been released

Theatre Performances

Music Recordings

Awards and Recognition

Emilia Clarke has been nominated for many awards. She received four Primetime Emmy Awards nominations for her role in Game of Thrones. This includes a nomination for Best Lead Actress in 2019. She has also been nominated for several Critics' Choice Awards.

In 2018, she won the BAFTA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year. That same year, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is the group that gives out the Oscars. Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in 2019.

Emilia has also been honored for her charity work. In 2019, she won a Shorty Award for a video that helped raise awareness for her charity SameYou.

See also

In Spanish: Emilia Clarke para niños