As if unofficially nominating Emilia Clarke as one of the most attractive women on HBO's Game of Thrones wasn't enough, the Mother of Dragons has now been crowned Sexiest Woman Alive 2015 by Esquire. In an in-depth interview with the popular men's magazine, Clarke revealed how she used Wikipedia to help nail her GoT audition and how filming a rape scene at such a young age took a toll on her.
If you've been living under a rock and aren't familiar with her face, Clarke plays Daenerys Targaryen, a strong woman who happens to take care of a brood of dragons while trying to govern an entire community of people. The 28-year-old also starred in the 2015 science fiction film Terminator Genisys, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The English actress didn't skyrocket straight to fame after graduating from Drama Centre London in 2009. Clarke dabbled in a few soap opera roles, sci-fi films (which she's never seen), and ultimately ended up working various jobs (including one at a bar and a call center) to support herself. Then one day, her agent told her to take a risk and audition for GoT and Clarke did just that, despite her limited knowledge of the books.
A photo posted by Esquire (@esquire) on Oct 12, 2015 at 8:16pm PDT
"My agent calls me up and says, 'Did you ever go up for Game of Thrones?'...My agent told the casting director, 'I know that the breakdown for this character is tall and willowy and blonde. I know she's short and round and brown, but I'd like you to see her,'" Clarke told Esquire. "I had two scenes which told me nothing and not very much time in which to read all those [George R. R. Martin] books. So I did what every good actor does and Wikipedia'd the living crap out of it."
The casting team was looking for a woman who could unravel and blossom right before the viewers' eyes, someone who could embody strength and vulnerability, which ultimately led them in Clarke's direction. Who says Wikipedia can't be used as a valid source for information?
Clarke and her family were excited about the new acting gig that she landed, until they read through her first scripted scenes. According to The Associated Press, the initial scenes involved full-frontal nudity, a large amount of sex, and worst of all, a rape scene. In the interview, she revealed the early episodes were "hard" to film due to the graphic content and only being 23 years old at the time.
"Once, I had to take a little time out. I said I needed a cup of tea, had a bit of a cry, and was ready for the next scene," she said.
This will be the second big magazine honor the pint-size brunette will be awarded this year, after GQ anointed her Woman of the Year in September. Clarke is featured on the cover of Esquire's November 2015 issue.
