Earlier today, The Hollywood Reporter unveiled an interview with GAME OF THRONES and SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY superstar Emilia Clarke, via Scott Feinberg's "Awards Chatter" podcast. During the interview, Clarke recalls her journey toward landing her first professional role, why she's sick to death of interviewers asking for comments about her nude scenes, the reason she bailed on appearing in FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, and her possible future as a recurring character in the Star Wars Universe. The interview is rather extensive, so my plan is pull some of the best bits, and then leave you to explore the full coverage, should you feel the need.
Upon opening the floor to Ms. Clarke, the 31-year-old actress offered a bit of insight concerning her outlook toward Hollywood, in general. "I'm pretty fatalistic about this industry," said Clarke. "I think that what's doing so good today maybe isn't gonna do so good tomorrow, so why not grab it with both hands and live it?"
I don't know, Emilia, those sound like words to live by, to me. Success, just like life, is fleeting, and should be enjoyed to the very last drop. After all, it's not everyday that you find yourself starring as Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron Throne, rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains, in one of the most influential cultural phenomenons of the past decade.
As their talk continued, Clarke began speaking openly about her frustrations with what some journalists and fans tend to focus on with regard to her GAME OF THRONE character. Of course, I'm talking about Clarke's variety of nude scenes featured in the first several seasons of HBO's mega-popular fantasy program.
"The volume of interest in the fact that I took my clothes off is astonishing to me. Emilia Clarke didn't go up on stage and go, 'What up guys? Check out these guys [her breasts]!' That didn't happen. I took on a character, and the character had things happen to her." She continues, "It is something that I get asked more than any other question," adding, "It genuinely is something that I find really difficult handling." Ugh, let's conjure some imagination with our list of questions, shall we, fellow journos? A hot take is never worth making your guest uncomfortable, particularly when the subject is their own body, I'm just sayin'.
When approached about her role as Qi'ra for Ron Howard's SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, Clarke told the outlet that she's signed up to do multiple Star Wars films, though she isn't sure if her character will be used in them; "I think it's like an insurance thing," she explained. Which actually sounds "par for the course," to me. After all, with so much talk about what's next for the Star Wars Universe, who knows where Qi'ra would fit into that plan, right? I suppose that, like Emilia, we'll just have to wait and see.
Next, Clarke spoke briefly about why she declined the offer to appear in 2015's FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. "It genuinely wasn't a nudity thing," she says. "I just knew the enormity of what that was… and I just didn't think I could take that." Heh, way to dodge the bullet there, Emilia. I think you made a rock-solid call by not getting involved with that franchise. It made money, sure, but woof.
Lastly, Clarke was asked about the finale of GAME OF THRONES, and whether or not she knows who will sit upon the Iron Thone, once all is said and done.
"I don't know that I even do now. I'm being serious. I think they're filming a bunch of stuff and they're not telling us. I'm being serious. I'm being deadly serious. I think that they don't even trust us." She adds, "There's lots of different endings that could happen; I think we're doing all of them and we aren't being told which is actually what's going to happen."
For the full interview with Emilia Clarke as well as a link to the "Awards Chatter" podcast, feel free to click here.
Meanwhile, you can catch Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra when SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY opens in theaters May 25th, and again when GAME OF THRONES returns to HBO for its final season, sometime in 2019.