During her time playing Khaleesi on Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke became well-acquainted with the art of the nude scene. However, once season one of the show had wrapped, Clarke decided to start speaking up when it came to getting her kit off.
On a recent episode of Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert podcast, Clarke said “I’m a lot savvier with what I’m comfortable with, and what I’m okay with doing.”
“I’ve had fights on set before where I’m like, ‘No, the sheet stays up,’ and they’re like, ‘You don’t wanna disappoint your Game of Thrones fans.’ And I’m like, ‘F*ck you.’”
It’s so empowering to hear that Clarke found the strength to stand up for herself in these situations, and what’s even more inspiring is the fact that it was co-star Jason Momoa who encouraged her to do so.
“I’m floating through this first season and I have no idea what I’m doing; I have no idea what any of this is,” Clarke said. “I’ve never been on a film set like this before, I’d been on a film set twice before then, and I’m now on a film set completely naked with all of these people, and I don’t know what I’m meant to do, and I don’t know what’s expected of me, and I don’t know what you want, and I don’t know what I want.”
“Regardless of there being nudity or not, I would have spent that first season thinking I’m not worthy of requiring anything; I’m not worthy of needing anything at all.”
Earlier this year, Clarke told the Hollywood Reporter she turned down a role in 50 Shades of Grey because she didn’t want to be pigeonholed into nude roles.
“Well, Sam [Taylor-Johnson, 50 Shades’ director] is a magician. I love her, and I thought her vision was beautiful,” she said. “But the last time that I was naked on camera on [Game of Thrones] was a long time ago, and yet it is the only question that I ever get asked because I am a woman.”
“And it’s annoying as hell, and I’m sick and tired of it because I did it for the character – I didn’t do it so some guy could check out my tits, for God’s sake.”
Clarke’s decision on whether she wants to do nude scenes or not is her choice and her choice only, if her not doing them disappoints you – frankly, it’s irrelevant.