Game of Thrones: Emilia Clarke feared her health would rob her of the role that made her famous

To say that Emilia Clarke has come a long way is an understatement. A true survivor. The Game of Thrones actor has suffered two ruptured aneurysms while filming the series, in 2011 and 2014.

In a recent interview A big issueHe returned to these incidents that could have cost him his life, thinking he would be fired from the shoot. “When you have a brain injury, because it changes your self-esteem to such a dramatic level, all the insecurities of going to work all night are quadrupled.” He comments. add: “The first fear we all had was, ‘Oh my God, am I going to get fired?’ Will they fire me because they think I can’t do the job?”

“I looked like I’d been through a worse war than Daenerys had ever known.”

This is in an article written for the New Yorker in 2019 titled fight for my life The actor revealed that he suffered two aneurysms while filming Game of Thrones.

The first came during a training session at a London gym. At first a terrible headache, vomiting and severe pain followed after a few minutes. He was taken to the nearest hospital, and an MRI was performed.

The verdict: A ruptured aneurysm, a potentially fatal type of stroke caused by bleeding into the space around the brain. “Just when all my childhood dreams came true, I almost lost my mind, and then my life.” she said.

After undergoing brain surgery, he woke up with aphasia, unable to remember his name and unable to answer routine questions. “I’ve never been so scared. I’m an actor, I have to remember my lines.” A week of intensive treatment allowed him to regain his speech. But the healing process was very difficult. “In my worst moments I wanted to pull the plug” remembered.

After some time in the hospital, he returned to the set of Game of Thrones, but was constantly tired. During a routine check-up, doctors discovered the formation of a new aneurysm, which is why he underwent a second brain operation. “The recovery was even more painful than the first surgery. I felt like I’d been through a worse war than Daenerys had ever known.”

In an interview with the BBC in 2022, the actor returned to this painful moment: “It’s remarkable that I can speak, sometimes articulately, and live a completely normal life without any consequences. I’m in the very, very, very small minority of people who can survive this.”

In 2019, in the wake of his thrilling display, he started same youA charity whose mission is to facilitate access to treatment and rehabilitation for people who have suffered brain injuries and strokes.