Emilia Clarke | |
|---|---|
 Clarke at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | 23 October 1986 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Awards | Full list |
Emilia Clarke (born 23 October 1986) is an English actress. Clarke studied at the Drama Centre London and appeared in a number of stage productions. Her television debut came in 2009 with a guest appearance in an episode of the British soap opera Doctors. The following year, she was named as one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow by Screen International magazine for her role in the Syfy film Triassic Attack (2010).
Clarke rose to international prominence in 2011 for her breakthrough role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011–present). It gained her critical acclaim and several accolades, including three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.
Clarke made her Broadway debut as Holly Golightly in a production of Breakfast at Tiffany's in 2013. Her film roles include Sarah Connor in the science fiction film Terminator Genisys (2015), Louisa Clark in the romance film Me Before You (2016), and Qi'ra in the Star Wars anthology film Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
Early life and family[]
Emilia Clarke was born on 23 October 1986 in London, and grew up in Berkshire.[1] Her father (died 10 July 2016)[2] was a theatre sound engineer from Wolverhampton, West Midlands.[3] She has an older brother.[4] Clarke's interest in acting began at the age of three after seeing the musical Show Boat, on which her father was working.[5] She was educated at Rye St Antony School and at St Edward's School, graduating in 2005.[6] She attended Drama Centre London, and graduated in 2009.[7]
Clarke is partly of Indian descent, saying in a 2018 interview that her maternal grandmother was the result of a secret affair her great grandmother had with a man from the subcontinent. Her grandmother wore light makeup to hide the dark complexion she had inherited from her father. She credits this as her family having a "history of fighters," saying that “The fact that [my grandmother] had to hide her skin colour, essentially, and try desperately to fit in with everyone else must’ve been incredibly difficult.”[8]
Career[]
Emilia Clarke at Comic-Con 2011
Clarke's early work includes two plays at St. Edwards,[6] ten plays at Drama Centre London, the 2009 Company of Angels production of Sense,[7] and two 2009 commercials for Samaritans.[9] One of her first film roles was for a University of London students' short film.[10] Her first television roles were Saskia Mayer in a 2009 episode of the British soap opera Doctors and Savannah in Syfy's 2010 film Triassic Attack. Screen International magazine named her as one of the "UK Stars of Tomorrow".[11]
In 2010 Clarke was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. She was cast after fellow British actress Tamzin Merchant was replaced for undisclosed reasons.[12] In an interview, Clarke stated that she did the funky chicken and robot dance during her audition.[13] The show debuted in April 2011 to positive reviews and was quickly picked up by the network for a second season.[14] Clarke won the 2011 EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role as Daenerys.[15] In 2013, Clarke was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards.[16] She was nominated again in the category in 2015 and 2016.[17]
Clarke has received widespread praise for her performance. Her portrayal of Daenerys, tracing an arc from frightened girl to empowered woman, has been praised highly. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe called her scenes "mesmerizing", adding that "Clarke doesn't have a lot of emotional variety to work with as Daenerys, aside from fierce determination, and yet she is riveting."[18] Todd VanDerWerff for The A.V. Club commented on the difficulty of adapting such an evolution from page to screen, but concluded that "Clarke [...] more than seal[s] the deal here.[19] In 2017, Clarke reportedly became one of the highest paid actors on television, earning £2 million per episode of Game of Thrones.[20][21]
In 2012, Clarke appeared in Spike Island, a film named after the location of The Stone Roses's seminal 1990 gig.[22] From March to April 2013, Clarke played Holly Golightly in a Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany's.[23] That year, she also starred in Dom Hemingway alongside Jude Law. Critical reaction to the film was mostly positive, though it was a commercial failure.[24][25]
Clarke promoting Solo: A Star Wars Story at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
In May 2014, it was announced that she had joined the feature film Garden of Last Days alongside James Franco,[26] but the movie was scrapped two weeks before production was due to begin. Clarke was offered the role of Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey but turned down the part because of the nudity required.[27] She played Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys (2015), opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jai Courtney, and Jason Clarke.[28] The film grossed over $400 million worldwide, but received generally unfavorable reviews from critics,[29] despite this she did receive nominations for awards like the Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Movie Star - Female and Germany's Jupiter Award for Best International Actress.
In 2016, Clarke starred as the female lead, opposite Sam Claflin, in the movie adaption of the best selling book (of the same name), Me Before You, released on 3 June 2016.[30] The film was a commercial success, grossing over $200 million worldwide and is Clarke's highest-rated film on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[31][32] For her role as Louisa Clark, she shared nominations with Sam Claflin for the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liplock and the MTV Television Tearjerker Award.
She played the lead as Nurse Verena, in the film Voice from the Stone which was released on April 2017 in limited release, video on demand and digital HD.[33][34]
In November 2016, Clarke was cast as the female lead in Solo: A Star Wars Story, released worldwide on 25 May 2018.[35] Clarke is also attached to the films The Guns of August opposite Helena Bonham Carter,[36] and Above Suspicion opposite Jack Huston.[37] In January 2017, Clarke was cast as the lead in the upcoming English language adaptation of the 2015 Korean romantic comedy, The Beauty Inside.[38]
Personal life[]
From 2012 until 2013, Clarke dated comedian and filmmaker Seth MacFarlane. The two broke up after approximately six months but remain friends.[39]
As of October 2015, Clarke resides in Hampstead, London.[40] In 2016, she purchased a $4.64 million house in Venice Beach, California.[41]
Clarke was voted the most desirable woman in the world by AskMen readers in 2014.[42] She was named Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2015.[43] In 2017, she was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone.[2]
In July 2016, her father died from cancer. Clarke was filming Above Suspicion in Kentucky at the time and unable to be home for all of her father's final days. She wrapped the movie early but arrived at the airport in London to learn that he had just died. "The world felt like a scarier place once my dad wasn’t in it," she said. "And then those two things happening in quick succession threw me off balance and made me re-evaluate who I am." Three weeks later, she began filming season seven of Game of Thrones.[44]
Charitable work[]
Since her rise to prominence, Clarke has contributed time and effort to a variety of charitable organisations. In September 2011, she joined SMA Trust team as their celebrity ambassador.[45] In August 2017, she became a patron of Open Door, a non-profit that aims to help young people gain access to drama school auditions.[46] Clarke auctioned a chance to watch an episode of "Game of Thrones" with her at the 2018 Sean Penn Charity Gala, which raised over $120,000 benefiting the J/P HRO & Disaster Relief Organizations.[47] In February 2018, Clarke appeared at London’s Centerpoint Awards, which celebrates the courage shown by homeless young people.[48] In April 2018, she was named ambassador to the Royal College of Nursing in the UK.[49]
Filmography[]
Film[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Drop the Dog | Julie | Short film | |
| 2012 | Spike Island | Sally Harris | ||
| Shackled | Malu | Short film | ||
| 2013 | Dom Hemingway | Evelyn Hemingway | [50] | |
| 2015 | Terminator Genisys | Sarah Connor | [51] | |
| 2016 | Me Before You | Louisa Clark | [52] | |
| 2017 | Voice from the Stone | Verena | [53] | |
| 2018 | Solo: A Star Wars Story | Qi'ra | [54] | |
| Above Suspicion | Susan Smith | [55] |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Doctors | Saskia Mayer | Episode: "Empty Nest" | [56] |
| 2010 | Triassic Attack | Savannah Roundtree | Television film | [57] |
| 2011–present | Game of Thrones | Daenerys Targaryen | Lead role | [58] |
| 2013 | Futurama | Marianne (voice) | Episode: "Stench and Stenchibility" | [59] |
| 2016 | Robot Chicken | Bridget (voice) | Episode: "Joel Hurwitz Returns" | [60] |
| 2017 | Animals. | Lumpy (voice) | Episode: "Rats." | [61] |
| Thunderbirds Are Go | Doyle (voice) | Episode: "Rigged for Disaster" | [62] |
Video games[]
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Game of Thrones | Daenerys Targaryen | [63] |
Theatre[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Breakfast at Tiffany's | Holly Golightly | Cort Theatre | [64] |
Awards and nominations[]
Emilia Clarke has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards and six Screen Actor Guild Awards. As of 2017, Clarke has won 5 awards from 28 nominations.
References[]
- ↑ Roberts, Kayleigh (23 October 2016). "The 'Game of Thrones' Crew Threw Emilia Clarke a Very Unconventional 30th Birthday Party". elle.com. Elle Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Morris, Alex (28 June 2017). "'Game of Thrones': Emilia Clarke, the Queen of Dragons, Tells All". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "In Vogue: Emilia Clarke". Vogue. 15 June 2015. http://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/2015/06/emilia-clarke-interview-may-2015-issue. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
- ↑ "Emilia Clarke Was Born to Rule". 26 July 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke: I feel just like Khaleesi in real life". Now. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 6.0 6.1 "OSE to star in new HBO drama". St Edward's School. 14 February 2011. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011.
{{cite web}}: ; dead-url - ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Spotlight: Emilia Clarke". Spotlight. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke's Solo Flight". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Lisa's Story (YouTube). Samaritans. 16 November 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im2zLraEI8w.
- ↑ "Video of Emilia Clarke in Student Movie". sitmovie.com. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. https://archive.is/20150124212602/http://sitmovie.com/videos/emilia-clarke-rare-short-ed-by-university-of-london.
- ↑ "UK Stars of Tomorrow 2010". Screen Daily. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke Was Not the First Choice to Play Daenerys Targaryen on 'Game of Thrones'". Yahoo!. 30 March 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Kevin, Patrick (20 March 2014). "Did the Funky Chicken land Emilia Clarke her 'Game of Thrones' role?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "HBO Re-commissions 'Game of Thrones'". IFTN. 19 April 2011.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "EWwy Awards 2011: Meet Your Winners!". Entertainment Weekly. 19 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emmy Nominees Full List: Breaking Bad, Homeland, Downton Abbey Dominate 2013 Awards". The Huffington Post. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Hipes, Patrick (16 July 2015). "Emmy Nominations 2015 – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 July 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Gilbert, Matthew (28 March 2013). "Fantasy gets real on 'Game of Thrones'". The Boston Globe. John W. Henry. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ VanDerWerff, Todd. "A Golden Crown" (for experts)". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Parker, Mike (25 April 2017). "Game Of Thrones season 7: Stars set to earn £2 Million per episode". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Hooton, Christopher (25 April 2017). "Game of Thrones season 7: Actors 'set to earn £2million per episode', making them highest-paid ever". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ "Lesley Manville and Emilia Clarke Travel to 'Spike Island' With The Stone Roses". Thefilmstage.com. 9 February 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Breakfast at Tiffany's Coming to Broadway with Emilia Clarke". Broadway Tour. BroadwayTour.net. 13 October 2012.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Dom Hemingway Movie Reviews, Pictures – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Dom Hemingway (2013) – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Loading... (2 May 2013). "Games of Thrones Star Emilia Clarke Cast in New Film Garden of Last Days Alongside James Franco". Entertainmentwise. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "'Game of Thrones' Star Emilia Clarke Turned Down 'Fifty Shades of Grey'". The Huffington Post. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "'Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke Set For 'Terminator' In Sarah Connor Role". Deadline Hollywood. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Terminator Genisys". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Alexander, Bryan (3 February 2016). "Trailer reveal: Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin in 'Me Before You'". USA Today. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Me Before You (2016) – Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ McNary, Dave (16 June 2014). "'Game of Thrones' Star Emilia Clarke Set for Thriller 'Voice From the Stone'". Variety. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Boone, John (13 January 2017). "Exclusive: Emilia Clarke Is a Long Way From Westeros in First Look at 'Voice From the Stone'". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Carbone, Gina (18 November 2016). "Emilia Clarke Joins Han Solo Movie as Female Lead". Moviefone. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Ge, Linda (19 May 2014). "Emilia Clarke Joins WWI Drama 'The Guns of August' Opposite Helena Bonham Carter". Up and Comers. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke & Jack Huston in Talks For Beyond Suspicion Adaptation". Contactmusic.com. 30 March 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Ford, Rebecca (27 January 2017). "Emilia Clarke to Star in 'The Beauty Inside' for Fox 2000, Temple Hill". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke Finally Opens Up About Dating Seth MacFarlane". E! Online. Retrieved 12 August 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Markovitz, Benjamin (13 October 2015). "The Gorgeous Balance of Emilia Clarke, Sexiest Woman Alive 2015". Esquire. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke Purchases Venice Beach Mansion". Retrieved 13 October 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke Voted Most Desirable Woman". Archived from the original on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ "The Gorgeous Balance of Emilia Clarke, Sexiest Woman Alive 2015". Esquire. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Morris, Alex. "'Game of Thrones': Emilia Clarke, the Queen of Dragons, Tells All". Rolling Stones. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia Clarke wows brokers at annual BGC Charity Day!". The SMA Trust. 12 September 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Emilia and Riz join Open Door!". Open Door. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (6 January 2018). "Brad Pitt Bid $120,000 to Watch 'Game of Thrones' With Emilia Clarke". Variety. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Fowler, Brandi (9 February 2018). "First the Iron Throne, Now Emilia Clarke Is Coming for the Seat in Kensington Palace". InStyle. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke launches fundraising campaign as nursing ambassador". Royal College of Nursing. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ McNally, Kelby (4 October 2012). "Demian Bichir, Emilia Clarke Cast Opposite Jude Law in 'Dom Hemingway'". HollywoodReporter. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Hibberd, James (13 December 2013). "'Game of Thrones' star Emilia Clarke cast as Sarah Connor in 'Terminator' reboot". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Fleming, Mike (2 September 2014). "'GOT's Emilia Clarke, 'Hunger Games' Sam Claflin To Star In MGM's 'Me Before You'". Deadline. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (16 June 2014). "Emilia Clarke to Star in Indie Psychological Thriller 'Voice From the Stone'". The Hollywood Reporter. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/emilia-clarke-star-indie-psychological-712149. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ↑ "Emilia Clarke Joins the Han Solo Stand-Alone Film". StarWars.com. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "Cannes: Emilia Clarke, Jack Huston to Star in Thriller 'Above Suspicion'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ "WATCH: Emilia Clarke's First Appearance on TV". BBC America. 1 April 2015. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ "Emilia Clarke Was In Syfy's 'Triassic' Before 'Game Of Thrones' (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. 31 August 2013. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ "Game of Thrones: Cast". HBO. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ "Futurama: "Stench and Stenchibility"". The A.V. Club. 28 August 2013. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ "'Game Of Thrones' Star Emilia Clarke Shares Secret On Overcoming The Downsides Of Fame". Movienewsguide.com. 16 June 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Nguyen, Hanh (1 March 2017). "'Animals' Trailer: Season 2 Throws Down With Emilia Clarke, Judy Greer, Rupaul and Dan Harmon". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2017.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Westbrook, Caroline (18 July 2017). "David Tennant and Emilia Clarke have signed up for Thunderbirds Are Go". Metro. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Futter, Mike (20 November 2014). "[Exclusive] Meet The Exiled Son Of Game Of Thrones' House Forrester". Game Informer. GameStop. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Brantley, Ben (20 March 2013). "More Waifish Than Wild, the Ingénue Returns". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 September 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl
External links[]
- Emilia Clarke at the Internet Broadway Database
- Emilia Clarke at the Internet Movie Database
- Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones Season six Premiere in Hollywood