“It’s the character no one saw coming,” she laughs — opening up about the film that reshaped how audiences see her forever.
For millions of fans around the world, Emilia Clarke will always be Daenerys Targaryen — the dragon queen whose rise and fall defined an era of television. But according to Clarke herself, the role that fans most often stop her to talk about isn’t from Game of Thrones at all.
“It’s the character no one saw coming,” she said with a smile. “And I love that.”
The Role That Surprised Everyone — Including Her
The character she’s referring to? Louisa Clark from Me Before You (2016) — a cheerful, offbeat caregiver whose warmth and emotional honesty stood in complete contrast to the fierce ruler Clarke had just portrayed on HBO.
“People were used to seeing me command armies and breathe fire,” she joked. “Then Lou came along with her bumblebee tights and big heart, and suddenly fans were like, ‘Wait… that’s the same actress?’”
“Lou Taught Me Empathy”
While Daenerys demanded intensity and authority, Louisa — affectionately known as Lou — required something else entirely.
“Daenerys taught me strength,” Clarke reflected. “But Lou taught me empathy. She reminded me that gentleness can be powerful too.”
Clarke said that fans often approach her to share deeply personal stories about the film’s impact.
“People tell me Lou helped them through grief, or made them believe in love again,” she said softly. “That kind of connection… it means more than awards or headlines. It feels human.”
She even laughed recalling one encounter:
“A man told me he watched Me Before You on a plane and cried so hard the flight attendant brought him tissues. I was like, ‘Mission accomplished!’”
A Turning Point in Her Career — and Identity
Clarke says the film marked a shift not just in how audiences saw her, but in how she saw herself as an actor.
“Lou let me be messy, silly, heartfelt — and that changed how I approached every role after,” she said. “I didn’t have to be fierce to be seen.”
“Dragons Made People Look at Me — But Lou Made Them See Me”
Today, Clarke says she still feels a deep personal connection to the character.
“Daenerys was epic,” she said. “But Lou? Lou was real. And that’s the role that still walks beside me every day.”
For an actress known for portraying one of fantasy’s most powerful figures, Emilia Clarke has found lasting impact in a story not about dragons or thrones — but about compassion, kindness, and the quiet strength of a girl in bumblebee tights.
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