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Though Emilia Clarke has found great success onscreen in shows like Game of Thrones, the world of fame and Hollywood wasn’t her greatest dream. During a conversation with Andy Cohen and co-host John Hill on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, the performer shared that, growing up, she always hoped to become a theater actor.
“As soon as I discovered that acting was a job, I was like, ‘That’s the job I want to do,’ she explained. “I imagined myself in the theater. My dad was a sound designer for the theater, so I kind of grew up being aware of backstage.”
She went on to explain that she attempted to enroll in numerous schools before finally finding a spot to study the profession. “I applied to every drama school in the country and I got on the wait list for one, and then a girl broke her leg and I got that spot,” she explained. Watch her conversation with Cohen about theater in the clip below.
After taking on her breakout role of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, Clarke made her Broadway debut as Holly Golightly in the 2013 production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, based on the acclaimed film.
Her West End debut came in 2022 with Jamie Lloyd’s production of The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. During an interview with the BBC around that time, Clarke shared that theater work is “10 times more frightening because there’ll be people wanting to go and say, ‘Well she can only act on camera, she clearly can’t act on stage,’ which is obviously the biggest fear.”
In addition to Game of Thrones, Clarke’s onscreen projects include Me Before You, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Last Christmas. She is currently starring in Peacock’s Ponies, a new thriller series in which she also serves as an executive producer.
SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live airs Monday through Friday at 10am ET on Radio Andy (Ch. 102), and anytime on the SiriusXM app.
Photo Credit: Sarah Gooddell
Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos
