In the cutthroat world of Hollywood auditions, actors are typically advised to stick strictly to the script. But when Emilia Clarke auditioned for the intense, career-defining role of Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones, she took a monumental gamble. The young actress broke the tension with an utterly unexpected display of physical comedy, a spontaneous moment that helped her beat hundreds of competitors to secure the role of a lifetime. The actress famously recounted the moment: “I asked if I could dance — and I did the Funky Chicken dance.”
The Audition: High Stakes, Stiff Atmosphere
The role of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled princess who evolves into the powerful “Mother of Dragons” and “Breaker of Chains,” was one of the most coveted in television history. The final stage of Clarke’s audition involved a tense read for the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and a skeptical president of HBO. Clarke, a young actress fresh out of drama school, performed two incredibly difficult, high-stakes scenes. She read the scene where Daenerys defies her abusive brother and the powerful final scene of the first season where she emerges from a fire unscathed. Despite her powerful dramatic reading, the atmosphere remained serious and stiff, and the HBO executive was stony-faced. Clarke felt the audition slipping away.
The Rule-Breaking Dance
Feeling desperate, Clarke blurted out, “Can I do anything else?” Showrunner David Benioff, likely trying to lighten the mood, jokingly suggested, “You can do a dance.” Clarke took the joke seriously. Without hesitation, she launched into the chaotic, flailing movements of the “Funky Chicken” and then seamlessly transitioned into the rigid, jerky poses of the “Robot” dance. The unexpected, committed display of dorky dance moves finally broke the tension. The showrunners and, critically, the President of HBO, broke out into smiles and laughter.
The Immediate Win and The Legacy
The casting directors were searching for an actress who possessed not only the fierce determination needed for the Queen of Meereen but also the vulnerability and charm of the timid girl who began the series. Clarke’s dance proved she had the full range—from the regal drama of a Targaryen to the endearing goofiness of a real person. The result of the spontaneous dance was immediate. Benioff and Weiss ran after Clarke before she even left the building, yelling, “Congratulations, Princess!” Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen for all eight seasons of the show (2011–2019), transforming the character’s journey and earning her two Emmy Award nominations for Best Actress. Emilia Clarke’s rule-breaking audition showed that winning the most serious dramatic role sometimes requires an ability to shed seriousness and simply demonstrate the full, charming scope of one’s true personality.