When Emilia Clarke stepped back into the role of Daenerys Targaryen for the final season of Game of Thrones, she embodied strength, power, and poise. To millions of fans, she was the unshakable Mother of Dragons — the woman destined to command armies and shape kingdoms.
But behind the regal exterior, Clarke was fighting a very different battle — one that almost no one on set knew about.
In a recent emotional interview, Clarke revealed that during the filming of the show’s eighth and final season, she was still quietly recovering from two near-fatal brain aneurysms. And through that ordeal, one person became her lifeline: her former co-star and close friend Jason Momoa.
“We cried!” Clarke said. “Jason was the only one I could tell. He knew everything — and he helped me keep it together when I thought I couldn’t.”
A Hidden Battle Behind the Iron Throne
Clarke first went public about her health struggles in 2019, revealing that she had suffered two aneurysms — one in 2011, shortly after filming Game of Thrones’ first season, and another in 2013 during her recovery.
What she hadn’t shared until now was that she was still dealing with the physical and emotional toll years later — even while portraying Daenerys in some of the most demanding scenes of the series’ final chapter.
“I was terrified it might happen again,” Clarke said. “Some days I felt dizzy, weak — but I didn’t want anyone to see that. We were finishing something huge, and I didn’t want pity. I wanted to finish strong.”
Jason Momoa: The Unseen Protector
Momoa, who played Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones’ first season, hadn’t been part of the cast since 2011 — but his bond with Clarke remained unbreakable.
“We spoke all the time,” Clarke said. “When I felt scared, I’d call him. Sometimes I’d just say, ‘I can’t do this today,’ and he’d remind me, ‘You’re Khaleesi. You’ve got this.’”
During one particularly intense day of filming in Belfast, Clarke nearly fainted from exhaustion but quietly excused herself, determined to avoid drawing attention. That night, she called Momoa over video.
“I told him, ‘I think my body’s giving up,’” she recalled. “He just looked at me and said, ‘No, it’s fighting. And when it’s done fighting, you’ll still be standing.’ We both cried.”
Momoa’s support went beyond words. He regularly checked in on her, sent encouraging messages, and even gifted her a custom-made necklace engraved with the Dothraki word for strength.
“He never let me feel small,” Clarke said. “He treated me like the same woman who stood beside him in Season 1, even when I didn’t feel like her anymore.”
The Secret Behind the Scenes
When Game of Thrones wrapped, Clarke finally shared the truth with the cast and crew — including just how much she had endured in silence, and how much Momoa had quietly done for her behind the scenes.
“People were shocked,” she said. “I think they realized just how much Jason had done for me quietly. He protected my secret when I couldn’t even protect myself.”
For Clarke, that friendship became a symbol of what true strength looks like — not the kind that conquers kingdoms, but the kind that endures in private.
“Jason is one of those rare souls who just sees you,” Clarke said softly. “When I finally told him I was okay, he said, ‘I knew you would be, Khaleesi.’ And yes — we cried again.”
A Quiet Kind of Strength
Years later, Clarke has turned her experience into advocacy. Through her charity, SameYou, she supports others recovering from brain injuries, determined to break the stigma surrounding invisible illness.
Still, when she looks back on those final days on the Game of Thrones set, one memory stands out — not of dragons or battles, but of a friend who helped her hold on.
“Strength doesn’t always roar,” Clarke said. “Sometimes, it just whispers — through the people who remind you that you’re still standing.”
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