29-year-old British actress Emilia Clarke, best known for her work on the series Games of Thrones and the film Me Before You, is not only lovely and talented, she is completely irresistible to audiences. The more you know about the real Emilia, the more charming and down to earth she seems. Here are 20 fun facts that back-up Emilia’s lovable persona.
Perfectly Cast as Lou in ‘Me Before You’
Can we really imagine anyone better than Emilia Clarke to play Louisa in the big screen adaptation of romantic novel Me Before You? Emilia brings all the freshness, optimism and sweetness to the character audiences expected to see.
Wants to Party in ‘Game of Thrones’ Wig
Many Game of Thrones fans have undoubtedly fantasized about wearing the wild blonde wig that Emilia dons as Daenerys Targaryen, but the actress herself actually begs to wear the wig out partying. We’d all love to see that.
Has performed in musical theater
Performing in musical theater automatically makes an entertainer more endearing to fans. Emilia had the opportunity of a lifetime in 2013 when she got to play the beloved character Holly Golightly in a Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Is a Big Fan of ‘Girls’
She made a name for herself on Game of Thrones but Emilia is a huge fan of another HBO show, Girls, and says: “I’d give my right arm to be, like, a random extra on Girls,”
Refuses to Google Herself
She’s on social media, but Emilia refuses to Google herself, explaining: “I don’t look at the stuff that other people tag me in because it just (messes) me up. Like, ‘Oh, I’m hideous and fat.”
Used to Date Seth MacFarlane
Emilia Clarke has dated an interesting and truly eclectic list of guys including Game of Thrones co-star Kit Harington, irreverent funnyman Seth MacFarlane and, according to rumor, Jared Leto, who shamelessly flirted with her at the SAG Awards in 2014.
Didn’t Always Have Glamorous Jobs
Before becoming a star, she had many non-glamorous jobs, like working at a call center which involved upselling for charities and dealing with to a lot of outraged people. Emilia hated it so much she quit after four shifts.
Wasn’t Popular as a Child
Like most of us, Emilia never fit in with the popular crowd growing up. She told Glamour: “I wanted to be in the popular crowd, desperately, and I never was. I was hanging on to their coattails like, ‘Be my friend!'”
Campaigns for More Male Nudity on GoT
In the name of gender equality, Emilia thinks that with all the female nudity on Game of Thrones, including her own, there should be more male nudity, and jokes that she would like close-ups on all the penises.
Has a Bumblebee Tattoo
Emilia has a permanent reminder of her performance in Me Before You. She recently got her first tattoo, a bumblebee like the one her character Louisa has. Emilia’s is proudly displayed on her pinky finger.
Has a Wacky Sense of Humor
Her wacky sense of humor resulted in some memorable behind-the-scenes pranks with Me Before You co-star Sam Claflin, such as putting garlicky fish in his socks. A worthy adversary, he stole all the furniture from her trailer.
Can do Action and Romance
With her feminine beauty she may look like a romantic leading lady, but Emilia is also adept at action flicks, like playing Sarah Connor in 2015’s Terminator Genisys, alongside ultimate action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Great Under Pressure
The actress only had 24 hours to prepare before she auditioned for Game of Thrones. Calling out of her catering job, she used the time wisely by researching the book series, and got the part.
Is Proud of Her Super-Thick Brows
Growing up, her mother forbade Emilia to alter her bushy eyebrows, advising her to put Vaseline on them. Although she was bullied because of them, Emilia likes her thick brows now, just as her mom predicted.
Takes acting seriously
Emilia didn’t just fall into acting. She first wanted to be an actress when she saw Showboat at age three, and eventually went on to study theater at the Drama Centre London, which Colin Firth once attended.
Can Laugh at Herself
Emilia can definitely laugh at herself, as we saw when she posted a picture on Instagram of Kristen Wiig impersonating her character Daenerys, during an appearance Wiig made on The Tonight Show last year.
New Face of Dior Jewelry
She recently signed on to be the new face of Dior’s high fashion jewelry label Rose des Vents. Emilia, who looks very elegant in the upcoming ads, follows in the footsteps of Dior faces Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman.
Creates Her Own Projects
While she has her choice of strong female roles, Emilia isn’t offered many comedies, so she’s writing one with her friend and says: “This is the most joyous, easiest thing I’ve ever done. We’re in the middle of it and it’s wonderful.”
Wants to Empower Others
With Game of Thrones winding down, she’s hoping Daenery’s legacy will be to empower viewers, telling Winter is Coming: “Who doesn’t love a hero? And there’s so many on the show. So I hope that’s what the show will leave.”
She’s Expanding Her Horizons
Emilia is spreading her wings by starring in a wide range of films, including: FBI thriller Above Suspicion, now filming, mystery drama Voice from the Stone, out this year, and reportedly the 2017 comedy The Set Up.