Emilia Clarke reveals real price of playing Daenerys in 'Game of Thrones'

Emilia Clarke is opening up about the impact of starring in a show as big as Game of Thrones and her new show Ponies.

Clarke, who stars as C.I.A. widow turned agent Bea in Peacock’s new show Ponies, was afraid of taking a lead role in a TV show again after her nine-year run as Daenerys Stormborn in HBO’s GOT.

"I was definitely, like" – she raised her eyebrows and gave an expression of panic, adding, "a lead in a TV show? I know what that commitment feels like."

Clarke, who has starred in various films since GOT, reflected on the pandemic coming right after the show came to an end. 

"It was the first time in my professional life that I stopped," she said. "I had a full mental breakdown. It was almost as if the timing of the pandemic was bang on."

"It forced me to answer some questions I probably could have put off answering for another 10 years," the 39-year-old said.

One of the questions were what she wants her professional life to look like.

Clarke noted that she took her sweet time in realizing that "I could try and get some autonomy over my choices, my work. So much of my career didn’t reflect my taste, I just sort of shot out of a cannon."

Clarke also reflected on how her global fame due to Game of Thrones prevents people from beign themselves aorund her. 

"I never get to meet someone for the first time," she said, "because they’re not being themselves. There’s just always this other thing in the way of interactions."

"I live for people," she remarked, "it can be really frustrating, because all my job is communicating. And the only time I get to do that is when I’m being someone else."

Emilia Clarke first appeared as Daenerys in season one of Game of Thrones at the age of 24. She played the Khaleesi in all eight seasons of the hit show.