Clarke was born on 23 October 1986 in London.[1][2] She grew up inOxfordshire.[3] Her father, Peter Roderick "Rick" Clarke, was a theatresound engineer fromWolverhampton.[4][5] Her mother, Jennifer Susan "Jenny" Dodd Clarke, MBE, was a businesswoman and is the vice-president for marketing at a global management consultancy firm as of 2020[update] and the director of The Anima Foundation, a charity aimed at helping young people inGhana. She has an older brother, Bennett, who works in the entertainment industry and was part of the camera department forGame of Thrones.[6][7]
Clarke is part Indian, of maternalIndian origin. Her maternal grandmother was the child of a secret affair between Clarke's great-grandmother and a man fromColonial India (British India),[8] and wore light make-up to conceal the darker complexion she had inherited from her father. She credits this background for her family's having a "history of fighters", stating, "The fact that [my grandmother] had to hide her skin colour, essentially, and try desperately to fit in with everyone else must've been incredibly difficult."[9] She stated that her grandmother "loved India more than she loved England" and as such, when she died, sixteen-year-old Clarke travelled to India to scatter her ashes. Clarke has also emphasised her ties to India, stating that she loves her Indian heritage and sees it as an integral part of her identity.[8][1][10]
Clarke became interested in acting at age three after seeing a production of the musicalShow Boat.[11] When she was ten, her father took her to aWest End audition forThe Goodbye Girl, a musical byNeil Simon.[1]
Clarke was privately educated at bothRye St Antony School inHeadington andSt Edward's School, Oxford, which she left in 2005.[12] In a 2016 interview withTime Out, she stated "I went to posh boarding schools, but I wasn't the posh girl at the posh boarding schools."[13] She also stated that most of the people at her boarding school in Oxford were from Conservative backgrounds, which meant she and some of her friends often felt like outsiders.[14]
Clarke started to act in stage productions while attending school. She appeared in student productions ofTwelfth Night andWest Side Story while attending St Edward's School.[17] After taking a sabbatical year, she was accepted into Drama Centre London.[1] Clarke also appeared the 2009 production ofSense, co-produced by theatre companyCompany of Angels and Drama Centre London.[18]
One of her first film roles was inDrop the Dog, aUniversity of London student short film.[19] She graduated from drama school in 2009.[20] She worked at various non-acting jobs after graduating while auditioning for roles.[21] She starred in two commercials for the charitySamaritans, portraying a domestic abuse victim.[22] Her first credited television role was abit part in a 2009 episode of the British soap operaDoctors.[23] Clarke was cast in her first professional film role, playing Savannah in the 2010 television filmTriassic Attack.[24] The film was released in November 2010 on theSyfy channel in the United States where it received negative reviews.[25] Despite the film's reviews, she was named a "UK Star of Tomorrow" by the film magazineScreen International.[26]
2011–2019:Game of Thrones and worldwide recognition
Clarke received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Daenerys, which traces an arc from frightened girl to powerful woman.[32] Matthew Gilbert ofThe Boston Globe called her scenes "mesmerising", adding that "Clarke doesn't have a lot of emotional variety to work with as Daenerys, aside from fierce determination, and yet she is riveting."[33] Emily VanDerWerff forThe A.V. Club commented on the difficulty of adapting such an evolution from page to screen, but concluded that Clarke "more than seal[s] the deal here."[34]
Clarke said by being cast as Daenerys, she had avoided the "typical bonnet duty that you have to go through as a young British actress".[35] In 2017, she reportedly became one of thehighest-paid actors on television, earning between £1.2 and £2 million per episode ofGame of Thrones.[a] In 2019, she said she had been uncomfortable acting nude in her first experience at age 23 of a large film set, but had since become "a lot more savvy" about what level of nudity is needed for a scene.[38] Clarke received multiple award nominations and wins for her role of Daenerys. She was nominated three times for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013, 2015, and 2016.[39] At the2019 Emmys, she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, her first nomination in the category.[40]
Clarke's first film role was in the short filmShackled (2012).[45] The film was featured in the 2020Amazon Prime Video horroranthology seriesMurder Manual.[46] The same year, she starred alongsideElliott Tittensor in the comedy filmSpike Island. It details a group of friends who try to get to thenamesake island ofThe Stone Roses 1990 concert.[47] The movie was originally distributed only in the United Kingdom but was subsequently picked up by Level 33 Entertainment for North American distribution in March 2015.[48] From March to April 2013, she played Holly Golightly in a Broadway production ofBreakfast at Tiffany's, a role requiring her to perform a nude scene.[49] The production, along with her performance, received mixed reviews from critics.[50][51] Later that year, she also starred in theblack comedy-crime drama filmDom Hemingway alongsideJude Law.[52]
In May 2013 Clarke was cast in a film adaptation of the novelThe Garden of Last Days.[53]James Franco was set to direct and star in the film; however, he left the project two weeks before filming after creative differences with the film distributorMillennium Entertainment.[54] In a 2019 interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, Clarke said she was offered the role of Anastasia Steele inFifty Shades of Grey.[55] She said she turned down the part because of the nudity required.[56]
She starred as the female lead, oppositeSam Claflin, in the film adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name,Me Before You. The film which was released on 3 June 2016 and directed byThea Sharrock, received mixed critical reviews.[60] The film was a box office success with worldwide revenues of $200 million.[61] For her role as Louisa "Lou" Clark, she shared nominations with Sam Claflin for theTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liplock and theMTV Television Tearjerker Award.[62][63] In 2017, she played the lead as Nurse Verena in the supernatural psychological thriller filmVoice from the Stone. The film was released in April 2017 for alimited theatre run, followed byvideo on demand and digital HD.[64]
She was cast as the female lead inSolo: A Star Wars Story in November 2016.[65] The movie, which was directed byRon Howard and premiered in May 2018, details the origins ofStar Wars charactersHan Solo andChewbacca.[66] Clarke playedQi'ra, Han's childhood friend and love interest.[67] The film received favourable critical reviews despite being the second-lowest grossingStar Wars film.[68] The film was released worldwide on 25 May 2018.[69] Her performance received positive critical reviews with many calling her one of the standouts of the film.[70] Clarke, along withJack Huston, was cast in 2016 as leads in the filmAbove Suspicion (2019). The film is based on a thriller novel byJoe Sharkey and directed byPhillip Noyce, and was announced at the2016 Cannes Film Festival.[71] The film received generally favourable reviews with Clarke's performance being highly praised by critics.[72][73] It also had a turbulent release which left it vulnerable to piracy.[74] In late 2019, Clarke starred oppositeHenry Golding in the romantic comedyLast Christmas. The film was written byEmma Thompson and directed byPaul Feig.[75] In a January 2020 interview withBustle magazine, Clarke stated she was inspired byWill Ferrell's character in the 2003 comedy filmElf.[76] Despite its unfavourable reviews, critics praised Clarke's performance,[77][78] and the film went on to become a box office success grossing over $121 million worldwide.[79][80]
Clarke starred as Nina in theWest End production ofAnton Chekhov'sThe Seagull, directed byJamie Lloyd, which began previews on 11 March 2020 at thePlayhouse Theatre.[81] The production was suspended on 16 March due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[82] The play was Clarke's first West End production.[83] It resumed two years later in July 2022 and was broadcast internationally viaNational Theatre Live.[84] The play, along with her portrayal of Nina won acclaim, with critics calling Clarke's performance, "magnetic" and "undeniably charismatic."[85][86] In 2021, Clarke published the first in a series of comic books titledM.O.M.: Mother of Madness that she co-wrote withMarguerite Bennett.[87][88]
Clarke was cast as the lead in the English language adaptation of the 2015 Korean romantic comedyThe Beauty Inside.[92] As of October 2019[update], the film was yet to begin production.[93] It was announced in May 2019 that Clarke is set to play the English poetElizabeth Barrett in the filmLet Me Count the Ways, whichThe Wife directorBjörn Runge was set to direct.[94]
In 2015, luxury goods companyDior signed Clarke to be the face of the Rose des Vents jewellery collection.[99] In 2018,Dolce & Gabbana announced she would be the brand ambassador for the fragrance "The Only One".[100] She starred in an advertisement, which was directed byMatteo Garrone for the perfume.[101] Cosmetics companyClinique announced Clarke as their first global ambassador in early 2020.[102]
Clarke has lent her support to various charitable organisations. In September 2011, she joined the SMA UK Trust Team as their celebrity ambassador.[103] The SMA Trust raises funds for research intospinal muscular atrophy.[104] In August 2017, she became a patron of Open Door, a nonprofit that aims to help young people gain access to drama school auditions.[105] She auctioned a chance to watch an episode ofGame of Thrones with her at the 2018 Sean Penn Charity Gala, which raised over $120,000 benefiting theJ/P HRO & Disaster Relief Organizations.[106] In February 2018, she introduced the award recipients at London'sCentrepoint Awards, which celebrates the courage shown by homeless young people.[107]
In April 2018, she was named the sole ambassador to theRoyal College of Nursing (RCN). As the RCN's ambassador, Clarke pledged to use her voice to fight for greater investment in nursing and to challenge misconceptions. Clarke also pledged to join nurses and healthcare workers to tackle the issues affecting the profession, including a falling number in training and shortages in the current workforce.[108]
In 2019, upon revealing the brain aneurysms she suffered in 2011 and 2013, Clarke launched her own charity namedSameYou. The organisation aims to broaden neurorehabilitation access for young people after a brain injury or stroke.[111] On 26 September 2019, she co-hosted a YouTube live stream with Irish YouTuberJacksepticeye that raised over £200,000 for SameYou.[112] After the conclusion of thefinal season ofGame of Thrones, a fundraiser called "Justice for Daenerys" was started in which fans of the series raised over £83,000 for her charity.[113] According to the fundraiser creator, the purpose was to collectively show their appreciation for both Clarke and the character of Daenerys Targaryen.[114] In 2020, Clarke was presented with the Public Leadership in Neurology award by the American Brain Foundation for her efforts in raising awareness about neurorehabilitation.[115][116] In the2024 New Year Honours, Clarke and her mother,Jennifer Clarke, were both madeMembers of the Order of the British Empire in the civil division (MBE) for their role in the creation of SameYou.[117][118][119] She wasinvested with theInsignia on 21 February 2024 atWindsor Castle by thePrince of Wales.[120][121]
In April 2020, Clarke began a fundraiser to help raise funds for her charity'sCOVID-19 fund.[122] The fundraiser, which aimed to raise £250,000, would support both theSpaulding Rehabilitation Hospital inBoston,Massachusetts, and theUniversity College Hospital in London. The organisation's new initiative aims to make a larger portion of beds available to coronavirus patients by providing a virtual rehabilitation clinic for people recovering from brain injuries and strokes.[123] In a further response to the coronavirus pandemic, Clarke announced the launch of an Instagram series of poetry readings. The readings derive from a collection calledThe Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind and Soul. She began the series by reading a poem about loneliness, which she dedicated to her charity SameYou and announced that other performers would be joining the initiative, stating that every performer would dedicate their reading to a charity of their choosing.[124]
In September 2020, she joinedEmma Thompson,Sanjeev Bhaskar andRobert Lindsay in a virtual reading of the playPrivate Lives by English playwrightNoël Coward. It was announced that all funds raised from the performance would be used as a crisis grant to support those in the theatre industry who were struggling financially as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[125]
In a 2013 interview withAllure, Clarke stated that her mother had rules when she was growing up: "Don't do drugs, don't have sex, and don't touch your eyebrows." She stated that she was bullied as a child for "having ridiculous eyebrows".[134]
Her father, who was an important figure in her life, died in 2016 due to cancer.[135] Clarke stated that "My father always told me — Never trust anyone whose TV is bigger than their bookshelf."[136]
In an essay she wrote forThe New Yorker in 2019, Clarke revealed that she had suffered asubarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a rupturedaneurysm in February 2011. She underwent urgentendovascular coiling surgery and subsequently suffered fromaphasia, at one point being unable to say her name. She had a second aneurysm surgically treated in 2013.[1]
Clarke was voted the most desirable woman in the world byAskMen readers in 2014.[137] In 2015, she was namedEsquire's Sexiest Woman Alive and was also recognised with theGQ Woman of the Year Award.[138] Clarke appeared onFHM's100 Sexiest Women in the World list in 2015, 2016, and 2017.[139][140][141] She was also included onGlamour's list of Best Dressed Women in 2017.[142] In 2023, she was named actress of the year at theHarper's Bazaar Women of the Year Awards.[143] Also, in 2023, she was awarded the Hollywood Rising-Star Award by theDeauville American Film Festival.[144]
Once filming wrapped on the final season ofGame of Thrones, Clarke, as a tribute to her role as Daenerys Targaryen, celebrated her time on the show with a wrist tattoo featuring a trio of flying dragons.[145]
^abAftab, Kaleem (21 November 2017)."Emilia Clarke in Bloom".Harper's Bazaar. Archived fromthe original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved13 May 2020.It's this epic story: My grandmother was colonial Indian, and it was a big old family secret because her mum had an affair with someone in India
^abCusack, Jenny (16 May 2019)."Emilia Clarke | Put a Record On, Watch the World Grow".Flaunt. Archived fromthe original on 2 October 2019. Retrieved7 May 2020.She describes her school in Oxford as "posh." Most of the people there were from Conservative backgrounds, which meant she and a few friends often felt like outsiders.
^Garcia-Navarro, Lulu (3 November 2019)."Emilia Clarke on 'Last Christmas,' Brexit and Life after 'Game of Thrones'".NPR. National Public Radio, Inc. Archived fromthe original on 1 January 2020. Retrieved4 February 2020.So I've had the good fortune of being in this incredible show with this incredible character. And my goodness, if I were to get stereotyped as the mother of dragons, I could ask for worse. It's really quite wonderful.
^Film, The Amazing Maurice."USA Release Date Confirmed".The Amazing Maurice Film.Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved4 February 2023.
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