Before she ever wielded the reality-bending chaos magic of the Scarlet Witch, Elizabeth Olsen had her sights set on ruling Westeros. The actress recently disclosed that her audition for the role of Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones was, quite simply, the most awkward and humiliating experience of her early career—a spectacular failure that, in a twist of fate, cleared her path to become a foundational star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Worst Audition Ever
The audition occurred early in Olsen’s professional life, and she recalled the atmosphere as incredibly strained. The producers asked her to perform a key, powerful monologue from the series: the dramatic scene where Daenerys emerges unscathed from the flames at the end of the first season, having successfully hatched her three dragons.
The pressure of delivering such an intense, emotional speech, combined with the necessity of maintaining a specific accent, proved overwhelming. Olsen later described the excruciating moment where she had to deliver the fiery monologue while accidentally jumbling her speech with an unintentional mix of both British and American inflections. The result was an unintentionally comedic effect in the tense audition room.
“I was reading for Daenerys Targaryen,” Olsen confirmed in an interview, calling the recorded tape “the worst audition I’ve ever had.” She did not secure the part, which famously went to Emilia Clarke.
A Shift to Cinematic Power
However, missing out on the coveted role of the Mother of Dragons proved to be an enormous stroke of luck that redefined her career. The rejection ensured that Olsen was entirely available and not locked into the long-term, demanding production schedule of Game of Thrones when Marvel Studios came calling soon after.
She made her quiet debut as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) before taking on a starring role in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
Data and Milestones of the Scarlet Witch
Olsen’s character quickly grew from a supporting player to a core figure within the most successful film franchise in history. She was central to pivotal moments in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Her astonishing power display in challenging Thanos earned her a reputation as arguably the single most powerful figure among the entire roster of Avengers.
This star power was undeniable, eventually leading to the critically acclaimed Disney+ series WandaVision (2021). The show was a massive commercial success for the streaming service and earned Olsen her first Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress. Her powerful portrayal was central to the Phase Four conclusion of her character arc in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). That film alone generated a massive $955.8 million worldwide, further cementing her status as a global box-office draw.
Elizabeth Olsen’s most awkward moment in the audition room for the Dragon Queen led her down an entirely different path—one where she commands the powerful magic of chaos rather than dragons, cementing her place as one of the most significant and highest-earning actresses in cinematic history.