Emilia Clarke Ends Fantasy Era No More Dragons

Emilia Clarke, best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO's Game of Thrones, has declared she is finished with the fantasy genre, particularly any involvement with dragons, nearly seven years after the series concluded.

In an interview with The New York Times while promoting her new Peacock espionage series Ponies, which premieres January 15 in the United States, Clarke stated, "You're highly unlikely to see me get on a dragon, or even in the same frame as a dragon, ever again." The British actress portrayed the Mother of Dragons across all eight seasons of the show, from 2011 to 2019, earning four Emmy nominations for her performance. Her character's arc culminated in a controversial transformation into a destructive figure in the final season, leading to her death in the series finale.

The timing of the show's end, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, prompted Clarke to take stock of her career for the first time. "It was the first time in my professional life that I stopped," she said. "I had a full mental breakdown. It was almost as if the timing of the pandemic was bang on." This period of reflection allowed her to seek greater control over her professional choices....