We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Emilia Clarke, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the Game of Thrones actress that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: She Wasn’t the First Choice for Daenerys. Though Clarke’s name is now synonymous with the Game of Thrones character, she wasn’t actually the first choice. The first choice for the role was Tamzin Merchant, who is most well-known for her roles in Pride & Prejudice and The Tudors. Merchant filmed the pilot but then left for unknown reasons.
Number Seven: She Danced in Her Game of Thrones Audition. And that’s not the best part! Clarke did – of all dances – the funky chicken for her Game of Thrones audition. After reading her lines, Clarke asked the executives if there was anything else she could do. One of them suggested she do a dance, so she did the funky chicken.
Number Six: Her Fans Don’t Recognize Her in Real Life. Because Clarke is featured on Game of Thrones in her blonde wig, she is often able to go incognito when she’s in public with her brown hair. It doesn’t hurt that Clarke is just 5’2″, so she’s easy to look over as well.
Number Five: Her Director Didn’t Recognize Her in Person. It’s true! The director of Game of Thrones, Richard Shepard, didn’t recognize Clarke when she auditioned for a role in Dom Hemmingway because she had her natural hair.
Number Four: She Didn’t Eat That Horse’s Heart. Though Clarke’s character on GoT eats the heart of a horse, Clarke didn’t actually eat a horse heart. So, what did she actually eat? The “heart” was, according to Clarke, “sort of a congealed jam kind of thing.”
Number Three: She’s a Hit on Broadway. In 2013, Clarke played the role of Holly Golightly in a Broadway adaptation of Breakfast At Tiffany’s. However, she admitted that her co-stars still brought up her role in Game of Thrones in their downtime.
Number Two: She Had a Brain Aneurysm. Clarke was admitted to the hospital in 2013 when she had a brain aneurysm. However, she was able to recover by the time the fourth season of Game of Thrones began filming.
Number One: She Dated Seth MacFarlane. Clarke and the creator of Family Guy dated for approximately six months in 2013. We hope you enjoyed our list of 15 things you didn’t know about Emilia Clarke!