Emilia Clarke: ‘Game Of Thrones’ Actress Reveals That Cate Blanchett Inspired The Way Clarke Plays Khaleesi

The first thing you might notice when you look at Emilia Clarke is that she doesn’t look much like her character on Game of Thrones. Daenerys has long blonde hair and is tall, whereas Emilia is shorter and has dark hair. Forgetting that for a moment, though, it’s obvious that Clarke has put a great deal of thought and effort into playing her character on Game of Thrones. So, where did Khaleesi draw her inspiration from?

It’s been said that Emilia Clarke’s acting on the show was sub-par, but fans also pointed out that there are moments in the show when Daenerys is supposed to be empty of emotion, and Clarke definitely pulls that off well. We get the sense Daenerys has no qualms about seeing her brother killed, for example, as she doesn’t flinch when Viserys has molten gold poured over his head.

What may not be so obvious is that Emilia based her character’s personality on that of another strong female ruler: Cate Blanchett’s titular character in the 1998 movie Elizabeth. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say Cate Blanchett was one of a number of influences. Clarke told Time that she tried to draw on “as many strong women” as she could when preparing for her role as Khaleesi.

A versatile actress, Emilia also played John Conner’s mother Sarah in Terminator: Genisys. Clarke told the Belfast Telegraph that playing a strong character like Daenerys has helped her confidence and taught her techniques she can apply in real life. Clarke has said she watched Elizabeth many times before starting to play the Mother of Dragons in Season 1. Though the sixth season of Game of Thrones won’t be out until next year, fans are already speculating what will happen to Dany and Jon Snow in the new season.

Some Game of Thrones fan theories have tried to interpret Dany’s visions in the House of The Undying to discover Azor Ahai’s identity, while other theories claim Dany is not a Targaryen but a BlackFyre, a descendant of Aegon IV’s bastard children. While we don’t quite know what’s ahead in the next season, Clarke did promise that season 6 would be “sick” and Game of Thrones fans would experience some amazing plot twists, as Inquisitr noted.

Debates over theory aside, we can all agree that Clarke is a talented actress. Everyone’s favorite Targaryen recieved two Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2015. Additionally, Marie Claire notes that Clarke took some cues from her mother when portraying Khaleesi; the 29-year-old actress told Marie Claire that her mother was a strong woman who taught her there was no difference between men and women.

There have been whispers that Dany’s husband Khal Drogo may also return to Game of Thrones’ sixth season after Daenerys smothered him out of mercy earlier in the show. It’s unclear at this point exactly what Dany’s fate is, but many believe she may be one of the prophesied “heads of the dragon” as she is the last living Targaryen descendant (that we know of). Most likely, there is a good chance Martin has kept Daenerys alive deliberately to fulfill some or all of the prophecies surrounding the Prince That Was Promised and the savior of Westeros. Let us know what you think about Emilia’s character and her acting in the comments below, and be sure to tune into Season 6 of Game of Thrones when it comes back in 2016.

[Image via Flickr.com]