Emilia Clarke is the Emmy‑nominated actor who became a global cultural icon as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, a role that catapulted her from fresh drama‑school graduate to one of the most recognisable faces on the planet. Since then she’s starred in everything from Me Before You to Solo: A Star Wars Story, won acclaim on the West End and now leads Ponies, a Cold War spy thriller she also produces.
In this episode, we talk about her childhood love of acting, the imposter syndrome that followed early fame, her failure to master mathematics, the terror and denial surrounding her aneurysms, the shattering grief of losing her Dad, the joy of female friendships and…yes, ok…Game Of Thrones.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Cheating Death Opener
00:14 Emilia Clarke Intro
02:54 Ponies And Friendship
03:39 Learning Russian Lines
06:45 Why Acting Means Failure
08:33 Failing At Maths
11:44 Early Acting Spark
14:10 Losing Her Dad
21:09 Failure At Recovery
24:30 Aneurysm In The Gym
27:10 Misdiagnosed Stroke Scare
28:01 Second Aneurysm
29:25 Surgery Goes Wrong
31:37 Relearning and Emotional Shutdown
33:30 Back to Work Too Soon
35:43 Recovery Without Grace
37:40 Healing and New Diagnoses
40:12 Bad at Celebrity
43:01 Game of Thrones Aftermath
46:08 Body Image and Press
48:11 Brows and Beauty Culture
50:40 Self Knowledge and Closing
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
You spend your 20s and 30s trying to be somebody else, and then your 40s are the moment when you go back to who you actually are.
I was blessed that after each of my brain injuries, in my mind, there was no other option but to carry on.
The only good thing about having someone that you love pass away is that every good thing that ever happens, you know it's them.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
All episodes of PONIES will be available on Sky and steaming service NOW in the UK & Ireland from 22 May
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Kate Winslet – the Oscar‑winning actor on reinvention, self‑doubt and the power of starting again at any age: swap.fm/l/qrRLW000eyVDrBz3ZtbI
Gillian Anderson – the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning icon on fame, burnout, womanhood and refusing to shrink herself for anyone: swap.fm/l/7NyZMzkfVOpGyDtlB6k0
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Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
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