Emilia Clarke clashed with Game of Thrones producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss over the portrayal of her character, Daenerys Targaryen, numerous times on set. The actress, who rose to fame for her appearance in the show, had to push back against their decision to make the Mother of Dragons cold and heartless.
We are all aware of Dany’s tragic fate in Season 8, but Clarke believed that she had to radiate glimpses of humanity, especially before she descended into madness. Fans also know how many changes the showrunners made in the story to streamline the plot, but Clarke cared so much about her character that she had to fight back.
Emilia Clarke argued with Game of Thrones producers many times over Daenerys Targaryen’s portrayal
Daenerys Targaryen went through multiple character development throughout Game of Thrones’ eight-season run. She went from a timid and innocent young bride to a compassionate ruler, but towards the end of the show, she turned into the worst version of herself and became a mass murderer.
Emilia Clarke’s interview in James Hibberd’s Fire Cannot Kill a Dragon revealed that she argued with David Benioff and Dan Weiss many times about their choice to make Dany a cold and emotionless character. She would say to the showrunners: “Don’t tell me what to do with my girl. I know what to do!”
The 38-year-old British star was very concerned with the direction the showrunners wanted to go, especially because she knew Dany was supposed to be a powerful leader and, at the same time, consumed by her desire for the Iron Throne.
Still, Clarke would not let her become completely devoid of humanity. “It’s like Daenerys’s calling card became cold expressionlessness. I always wanted to infuse that with some humanity because no one’s consistently like that,” she argued.
Clarke’s courage to voice her own creative choice for Dany only showed that she did not want the viewers to hate on the character as they loved her across several seasons, and to see her ultimately become the ruthless villain of the show tremendously broke their hearts.
George R.R. Martin could have prevented this had he remained involved in the show
George R.R. Martin once admitted that he was no longer involved in the latter seasons of the show so the story that we have witnessed from the sixth to the final installment were all inventions of the showrunners. The author no longer had control over how Dany was portrayed in the season finale so Clarke had to step in and defend her character.
Still, the actress would not change a thing about the ending of the series. Even if she argued with Benioff and Weiss many times, she respected their work and stood by her character to the end.
Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on Max.
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