She’s returned to Game of Thrones as the notoriously grisly show enters its penultimate seventh season.
But as Daenerys Targaryan sets sail for the kingdom of Westeros, a bloody fight for control of the embattled continent and a finale dominated by either death or glory, actress Emilia Clarke still has cause to reflect on one of her very first scenes.
The 30-year old still shudders when recalling the moment Daenerys was required to eat the entire raw heart of a stallion – an ancient Dothraki tradition – after learning of her pregnancy with doomed husband Khal Drogo’s child.
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Gruesome: Emilia Clarke still shudders when recalling the moment Daenerys Targaryan was required to eat the entire raw heart of a stallion – an ancient Dothraki tradition – after discovering she is pregnant with doomed husband Khal Drogo’s child
She told The Mirror: ‘It was very helpful to be given something so truly disgusting to eat, so there wasn’t much acting required.
‘They made the heart out of solidified jam but it tasted like bleach and raw pasta. I ate roughly 28 hearts throughout the days we filmed that scene. Fortunately, they gave me a spit bucket because I was vomiting in it quite often.’
Despite winning international acclaim thanks to her role as the Mother of Dragons, Emilia is thankful that her distinctive blonde wig and commanding onscreen appearance help her go unnoticed during breaks from the show.
Quite a difference: Despite winning international acclaim thanks to her role as the Mother of Dragons, Emilia is thankful that her distinctive blonde wig and commanding onscreen appearance help her go unnoticed during breaks from the show
‘It’s not as easy as it used to be,’ she said. ‘I have it so much easier than Peter Dinklage, who is immediately recognised as Tyrion Lannister, even if he is wearing a swimsuit and strolling along the beach.
‘I remember one time I was walking with (co-star) Kit Harrington on 5th Avenue in New York and a whole horde of GoT fans descended upon us. It happens.’
Emilia previously admitted her first seasons on the show left her constantly questioning herself and her decisions.
Anxiety: Emilia previously admitted her first seasons on the show left her constantly questioning herself and her decisions
‘I was plagued by self-doubt and anxiety,’ she told Australian newspaper the Daily Telegraph.
But the British beauty insisted it was in her lowest moments that she was forced to evolve, eventually becoming the woman she is proud of today.
‘I want to keep learning and never stop working on myself so that I can be more open and engaged in whatever I do,’ Emilia said.
