In a recent interview with Variety, Emilia Clarke reflected on her years portraying Daenerys Targaryen and addressed a question many “Game of Thrones” fans have wondered about since the controversial series finale: whether she ever tried to alter her character’s ultimate fate. Looking back on her time with the HBO phenomenon, Clarke made it clear that she viewed herself as an interpreter of the story rather than a participant in shaping it.
Emilia Clarke Says Changing Daenerys’ Ending Was Never an Option
For years, debate has surrounded Daenerys Targaryen’s dramatic downfall in the final season of “Game of Thrones.” The character, who spent much of the series building a reputation as a liberator and conqueror, ultimately met her end after destroying King’s Landing and being killed by Jon Snow. Yet Clarke insists that influencing those story decisions was never part of her role.
Reflecting on the production process, the actress explained that she had no desire to contribute creatively beyond her performance. “Aside from what I brought as an actor, I didn’t have any creative input, nor did I want any,” she said, while also praising showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss as “geniuses.” Looking back at her younger self, she added that she did not consider herself “qualified” to shape the narrative.
When asked whether she could have persuaded the writers to take Daenerys in a different direction, Clarke immediately rejected the idea. Her answer was a firm “No,” recalling how closely the scripts were followed on set. According to the actress, even the smallest changes in wording were discouraged, with performers expected to deliver lines exactly as written.
That strict approach reinforced the separation between performance and authorship. Although Clarke spent eight seasons bringing Daenerys to life, she said she never felt responsible for developing the character’s arc. Instead, her focus remained on understanding the motivations behind every decision the future queen made.
“I was given the seasons, and I, to the best of my ability, empathized and understood and tracked every choice she made so it felt like mine,” Clarke recalled. “I felt like that was what my job was.”