The narrative of actress Emilia Clarke is a powerful reminder that every global superstar starts somewhere. Just over a decade ago, Clarke was a fresh graduate of the Drama Centre London, juggling odd jobs to make ends meet, including one in catering where she would dress as storybook characters like Snow White for children’s parties.1 Her life was dramatically altered in a single moment: the casting call that forced her to prioritize the chance of a lifetime over a shift serving canapés.
🍽️ Calling in Sick for Destiny
In 2010, Clarke was a virtually unknown actress when she landed a high-stakes audition for the role of Daenerys Targaryen in a new HBO fantasy series based on the novels of George R.R. Martin. She later recounted that she had to call in sick to her catering job to attend the audition—a risk that would pay off exponentially.
Though the initial pilot episode featured a different actress (Tamzin Merchant), the role was quickly recast. Clarke was called back for a crucial final audition in Los Angeles for HBO executives and the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.2
The audition setting was intimidating, but Clarke, seizing the opportunity, famously broke the tension. When asked if she had anything else she could do to lighten the mood, she performed “The Robot” dance.3 This moment of spontaneous charm and commitment won over the room, and the showrunners famously ran to tell her she was cast as the Mother of Dragons “10 seconds after she left the room.” In accepting her award for British Artist of the Year years later, Clarke thanked the showrunners for their “bravery award for hiring someone whose biggest job up until then was catering parties dressed as a Snow White.”4
💰 A Reign of Riches: The Game of Thrones Data
The role of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones (which premiered in 2011) launched Clarke from working service jobs to becoming one of the highest-paid actresses on television.5
| Salary Tier | Seasons | Salary Per Episode (Reported) |
| Tier 2 | Seasons 5 & 6 | $\sim$$500,000 |
| Tier 1 (Final Deal) | Seasons 7 & 8 | $\sim$$1.2 Million |
By the final season (Season 8, which had six episodes), her earnings, along with the four other lead cast members, reached a reported $1.2 million per episode, totaling $7.2 million for that season alone, cementing her status as one of the highest-paid actors in television history.6
🎬 Post-Westeros: Building a Diverse Empire
Following the conclusion of Game of Thrones in 2019, Clarke successfully transitioned to major film roles, establishing herself as a formidable box office draw:
-
Action Lead: She took on the iconic role of Sarah Connor in the film Terminator Genisys (2015), which grossed over $440 million worldwide.
-
Romantic Hit: She starred in the tear-jerker film Me Before You (2016), which earned over $200 million globally.
-
Sci-Fi Franchise: She joined another major franchise, portraying the character Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
-
MCU Debut: More recently, she joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2023 Disney+ series, Secret Invasion, as the character G’iah.
Clarke’s journey from calling in sick for a chance to commanding dragons and global box offices serves as one of the most remarkable career transformations in modern Hollywood history.