It has been 14 years since the premiere of Game of Thrones, widely regarded as one of the best television series of all time. The show introduced characters who remain iconic today, including Daenerys Targaryen, portrayed by Emilia Clarke.
Clarke was born in London, England, on October 23, 1986, and turns 39 this year. She played Daenerys from 2011 to 2019, earning four Emmy Award nominations for her performance. In 2013, 2015, and 2016, she was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, and in 2019, she received a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Alongside her fellow cast members, Clarke won the Empire Hero Award in 2015 and received seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series (2012, 2014–2018, and 2020).
Clarke’s transformation as Daenerys Targaryen over the course of the series—from the first season in 2011 to the last in 2019—remains unforgettable.
Beyond Game of Thrones, Clarke has starred in several notable projects. She played Sarah Connor in 2015’s Terminator Genisys, appeared opposite Sam Claflin in 2016’s Me Before You, and took on the role of Qi’ra in 2018’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.
In 2019, Time magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in the “Artist” category. In 2024, Clarke and her mother were awarded the MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for their charitable work with SameYou, a brain injury recovery charity.
Her recent projects include the Marvel series Secret Invasion (2023), The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland (2024), and The Twits (2025). According to IMDb, Clarke has several upcoming projects in development.
On a personal note, Clarke revealed in a 2019 essay for The New Yorker that she has faced serious health challenges. In February 2011, she suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm, underwent emergency embolization surgery, and experienced aphasia. She had a second aneurysm treated in 2013.
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Thirteen years after the premiere of Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke continues to captivate audiences on screen while making an impact off it, both through her work and charitable efforts.
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