‘Terminator Genisys’ Star Emilia Clarke’s Inside Look At Becoming Sarah Connor

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the film Terminator Genisys.

Terminator Genisys is undoubtedly one of the summer’s most anticipated new films and a large part of the intrigue surrounding the latest Terminator installment comes from traditional fans curious to see how the film will be handling a rebooted timeline. We know already that the film alters the timeline of the original Terminator film, causing unpredictable changes in the franchise’s most iconic characters.

Sarah Connor, now being played by Emilia Clarke, is one of those characters and although it would seem that Ms. Clarke steps into the role with little understanding of the Sarah Connor role in the character’s most basic incarnation, Ms. Clarke assures fans that Sarah Connor’s place in pop culture and as a female role model has not been lost in Emilia’s revamping of the role.

In fact, Ms. Clarke is rather amused, when it’s assumed she doesn’t the history of her character.

“Aw, bless you! But I was very aware of it,” Clarke insists. “Sarah Connor is such an iconic character and there really was this mantle to uphold. But the beauty of this script is that it takes James Cameron’s original characters and puts them in an entirely new scenario, with a new history and everything.”

Emilia adds that she pursued a rigorous training regiment to prepare for the Terminator Genisys role. Ms. Clarke emphasizes that much of the training included weapons handling, so Emilia could look as proficient and hardened as Linda Hamilton, the original Sarah Connor.

“Gun training. Lots of gun training. And they said I was really good… but then I was the one holding the gun!” Emilia laughed and added that her training was followed up by “putting on those Doc Martens and feeling like a badass.”

There’s no doubt that Emilia has a good handle on stepping up as a female action hero and showing off her warrior’s mettle, but there’s more to Sarah than just a display of physical prowess. Ms. Clarke recognizes the need for Sarah to be something of a role model and, for Emilia, that seems to be the best part of playing Terminator Genisys‘ heroine.

“I would love to be able to give confidence to young girls, so that they can grow into strong women,” Ms. Clarke reveals. “I didn’t have a lot of confidence growing up, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to get where I am now, to glean that kind of self-worth. To be able to encourage a young girl to believe in herself in the same way, I think that would be incredible.”

Terminator Genisys will hit theaters on July 1.

[Featured image: Emilia Clarke courtesy of Dominique Charriau/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures]