Emilia Clarke Opens up About Undergoing 2 Brain Surgeries Due to Aneurysms While Filming GOT: ‘I Had Cheated Death’
Clarke said the recoveries left her unable to look people in the eye and inspired her SameYou charity.
- On Wednesday, 39-year-old actress Emilia Clarke revealed on the 'How to Fail' podcast that her near-fatal health battles left her emotionally 'shut down' and convinced she was 'meant to die.'
- Clarke suffered two life-threatening hemorrhages during her tenure on HBO's 'Game of Thrones,' requiring emergency surgeries in 2011 and 2013—the first after wrapping season one, the second while performing on Broadway in New York.
- Fearful that employers would view her as 'weak' or 'broken,' Clarke kept her ordeal private for years; she later described her recovery as 'gruesome,' revealing 'bits of skull had been replaced by titanium.'
- Continuing to work on the HBO series provided Clarke a vital lifeline; she felt she had 'no other option but to carry on' while repeatedly reminding herself she was 'an actor' to protect her dream job.
- Since launching her SameYou charity in 2019, Clarke has increasingly advocated for brain injury survivors facing isolation, now viewing her decade-long stint on 'Game of Thrones' as 'lightning in a bottle' and a defining chapter of her youth.
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16 Articles
»As if I should not be here«: Actress Emilia Clarke talked about how difficult the time after her brain surgery was for her – especially emotionally.
Emilia Clarke Thought She Was ‘Meant to Die’ After 'Game Of Thrones' Tragedy
MEGA Emilia Clarke was living what many actors would consider a dream after landing the career-defining role of Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” However, behind the fantasy series’ massive success, the actress was quietly fighting for her life. Years after first revealing she suffered two brain hemorrhages during the show’s run, Clarke is now opening up about the terrifying emotional aftermath. During a candid podcast appearance…
In 2011, Emilia Clarke had just celebrated her breakthrough, but then two brain aneurysms were detected at the actress's two-year interval. Clarke now looked back on this formative time in a podcast.
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