Secret Invasion: Emilia Clarke Made Sure Not To Repeat This GoT Mistake With G'iah
Emilia Clarke is no stranger to massive franchises. She broke into the mainstream playing Daenerys Targaryen on "Game of Thrones" for all eight seasons. While the role put her on the map, Clarke has been vocal about her issues with the production. After the show's first season, she suffered a brain aneurysm, which led to anxiety filming subsequent episodes. She also had problems with the nude scenes, feeling powerless as a young woman exposed to so many people on set without proper boundaries established.
However, the actress has stated that filming Marvel's "Secret Invasion" was a much better time for her. She's learned a lot of lessons over the years, including one crucial tidbit she wishes she utilized on "Game of Thrones." In an interview promoting the new show with Phase Zero, Clarke mentioned how it's good to know how to stand comfortably: "People often spoke about Khaleesi's very straight back, being very good posture ... I was a terrified 22-year-old. My momma told me to sit up straight, so I did." That simple character choice meant she couldn't slouch, which led to years of having to keep her back straight, which she didn't do for G'iah on "Secret Invasion."
Emilia Clarke took things more laid back with Secret Invasion
A simple character choice can have far-reaching ramifications. Using a specific accent or giving a character a quirk means that actor may have to stick with that for a long filming period. Emilia Clarke learned that the hard way. While she wanted to have good posture while filming "Game of Thrones," while simultaneously making Khaleesi more regal-looking, she had to extend her back throughout all eight seasons, something she took great care to avoid with "Secret Invasion."
Her and co-star Ben Mendelsohn, who plays Talos, had a good laugh about her hard-earned lesson while speaking with Phase Zero. Clarke went on to say, "I didn't know it was gonna go on for 10 years! Every time with David [Benioff] and Dan [Brett Weiss], I'd be like, 'Yo, what if she's sitting in the throne like this?'" She then adopts a more laidback position, slouching in her chair. However, it sounds like the "Game of Thrones" creators weren't okay with Khaleesi suddenly becoming chill.
So when it came to G'iah, Clarke made sure to make her more relaxed from the start. She continued, "So with G'iah, I was like she's nimble, she's flexible. There's never gonna be any like ... she's a mover." She and Mendelsohn crack up at the idea of her purposefully doing something so that she can actually enjoy the filming experience. At the end of the day, these are just TV shows, so why shouldn't the actors involved be comfy shooting them for weeks or months on end?