Before dragons took flight and the Seven Kingdoms became a global obsession, Game of Thrones was just a risky fantasy pilot filming quietly in Northern Ireland. The cast barely knew one another. Careers hung in the balance. And the chemistry between its central couple—Khal Drogo and Daenerys Targaryen—was still an enormous question mark.
That question was answered not on set, but on the floor of a hotel lobby in Belfast.
In 2010, Emilia Clarke, then a 23-year-old newcomer fresh out of drama school, arrived at the cast hotel carrying her suitcases and nerves. She had just landed her first major role and was surrounded by seasoned actors, unfamiliar accents, and the pressure of leading a massive HBO production.
Across the lobby stood Jason Momoa, already cast as the fearsome Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo.
Instead of introducing himself politely, Momoa made a decision that would become television legend.
From the far end of the lobby, Clarke suddenly heard a booming shout echo through the room:
“WIFEY!”
Before she could react, the 6’4″ actor sprinted toward her at full speed and launched himself into what Clarke later described as a full rugby tackle—knocking her clean off her feet and pinning her to the floor in an enormous bear hug. Hotel guests froze. Luggage scattered. The future Mother of Dragons lay stunned beneath a laughing Hawaiian powerhouse.
“I was so English before then,” Clarke later recalled. “I had never been greeted that way. I’d never met anyone his size—let alone his size of personality.”
Momoa helped her up, dusted her off, and introduced himself as if nothing unusual had happened.
Strangely enough, that chaotic moment accomplished what weeks of rehearsals might not have. The ice was gone instantly. The awkwardness vanished. What remained was laughter—and trust.
That trust proved essential. Their characters’ storyline in Season One required emotional vulnerability, intense physical proximity, and scenes that were challenging for a young actress stepping into her first major role. Clarke has repeatedly credited Momoa for making her feel protected on set, describing him as a constant advocate who checked in on her comfort and famously insisted on robes and warmth between takes.
Behind the scenes, their friendship became a stabilizing force during one of television’s most demanding productions. Off camera, Momoa’s wild humor helped defuse tension—most memorably when he swapped his modesty garment for a giant fluffy pink sock just to make Clarke laugh before an emotional close-up.
Though Khal Drogo’s story ended in Season One, the bond formed on that hotel floor never faded. For more than 15 years, the two have continued to refer to one another by their Dothraki titles—“Moon of My Life” and “My Sun and Stars”—whenever they reunite.
What began with a reckless shout and a flying tackle became one of Game of Thrones’ most authentic relationships. In a show defined by spectacle, betrayal, and fire, its most genuine magic came from something far simpler: a moment of ridiculous human connection that turned two strangers into family before the cameras ever rolled.