Emilia Clarke Reveals She Had No Say in Daenerys' Story or Fate on Game of Thrones

Emilia Clarke has opened up about having no control over her Game of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen's storyline, dialogue, or eventual fate—including in the series' controversial finale. In an interview with Variety, Clarke stated she 'didn't have any creative input' on her role, nor did she seek any, as she felt 'not qualified.' She noted that showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were 'fastidious' about actors sticking to the script, requiring retakes even for minor deviations like saying 'it's' instead of 'it is.' When asked if she could have altered Daenerys' ultimate fate—an ending many fans disliked—Clarke answered with a flat 'no.' The final episodes saw Daenerys suddenly turn from a hero who defeated the undead army into a city-burning conqueror, ultimately killed by her lover Jon Snow. Clarke explained that Benioff and Weiss demanded exact line delivery, and she focused on empathizing with and understanding each choice to make it feel her own. Her former co-star Kit Harington previously admitted mistakes were made in the ending but said exhaustion after nearly a decade of production left no alternative. Despite the challenges, Clarke now feels 'grateful' for the experience, which launched her career. She no longer feels trapped by the role and considers herself lucky. In January, Clarke also expressed frustration over linguist David J. Peterson's comment that her Dothraki pronunciation 'sucked,' but Peterson clarified he never expected her to be perfect. Clarke also mentioned she's likely done with fantasy projects, saying it's 'highly unlikely' she'll ever get on a dragon again.