Emilia Clarke has built a career that includes plenty of divisive projects, but the Game of Thrones veteran maintains that the backlash against titles like Secret Invasion and Solo: A Star Wars Story is nothing to take personally.
Speaking with Variety, the actress who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen discussed both the peaks and valleys of her professional journey. Her ventures into the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) spaces failed to produce fan-favorite narratives, yet she made clear this has never been a burden she carries.
“I don’t think no one liked that show, guys,” Clarke said of Secret Invasion while using a goofy voice. “I’m sorry!”
She continued: “Star Wars? They didn’t like it. Terminator? That should never have happened.”
Clarke has repeatedly stepped into roles for productions that later drew mixed or negative reactions from audiences and reviewers. Game of Thrones Season 8 stands out as the most prominent case, though her turns as G’iah in the MCU, Qi’ra in Star Wars, and Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys have also subjected her to sharp online criticism.
Every franchise she named carries extensive history in entertainment, with certain ones embedded more deeply in pop culture than others. Still, she ultimately acknowledged that “these were jobs I said yes to.”
“I entered into already existing franchises,” she added, “so when they don’t work out, it’s not personal.”
Regarding future success, Clarke indicated she simply needs “to wait for the right thing.” And she does not plan to fixate on any future disappointments either.
“My connection to a project ends when they say, ‘Picture wrap,'” she added. “Because it’s not for me to decide what people will think of it.”
Clarke appeared alongside Haley Lu Richardson in Peacock’s Ponies earlier this year and will soon star in the film Next Life. During the same conversation, she addressed how little influence she had over the ultimate fate of her dragon-riding character in Game of Thrones, a topic explored further in Emilia Clarke: ‘Game of Thrones’ Gave Me No Say in Daenerys’ Arc or Ending.
