Emilia Clarke

Emilia Isobel Euphemia Rose Clarke was born on October 23, 1986, in London and raised in Oxfordshire. Studying at the Drama Centre London, Clarke made her seismic television breakthrough in 2011 when cast as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s adaptation of George R.R. Martin's 'Game of Thrones'. Her decade-long portrayal of the exiled princess transforming into a dragon-riding queen garnered universal praise, four Emmy nominations, and made her a permanent pop culture icon.

Concurrently, Clarke established herself as a versatile leading film actress in romantic blockbusters like 'Me Before You' (2016), romantic comedy 'Last Christmas' (2019), and starred as Qi'ra in Lucasfilm’s 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' (2018). On stage, she played Holly Golightly in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' on Broadway and Nina in Chekhov's 'The Seagull' in London's West End.

Having courageously survived two life-threatening brain aneurysms during the filming of 'Game of Thrones', Clarke founded the charity SameYou to revolutionize rehabilitation for young brain injury and stroke survivors. In 2024, she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by Prince William for services to people with brain injuries.