Gunning for a role on a television series is something that many performers strive for each year. While there is no guarantee that a show will become a sensation, getting the chance to star on a series comes with a steady paycheck and endless possibilities. Over time, we have seen stars like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Jennifer Aniston all make waves on the small screen.
During the peak of its run, Game of Thrones was the biggest show on television, and Emilia Clarke was reaping the benefits of having a starring role on the acclaimed show. During the audition process, things weren’t too smooth, and had things gone another way, then Clarke would have wasted a golden opportunity.
Let’s look back at Emilia Clarke’s Game of Thrones audition!
She Thought The Audition Wasn’t Going Well
It’s easy to look back now and see that Emilia Clarke was the only person for the role of Daenerys Targaryen, but years ago when the producers were piecing the show together, they searched far and wide for the right person. It was during this time that Emilia Clarke landed herself an audition for the show.
Prior to landing Game of Thrones, Clarke was nowhere close to being an established performer. Yes, she had some acting credits to her name, but there was still plenty of work she needed to do before reaching a new level of fame. According to IMDb, some of her acting credits prior to Game of Thrones were in projects like Doctors and Triassic Attacks.
Unfortunately for Clarke, once she did get the chance to audition for Game of Thrones, things weren’t going too smoothly for the performer. According to DigitalSpy, Clarke did not feel like her huge opportunity was going well, and she wound up telling the people in the audition room that she would make them tea if she was given the role.
Clearly, this was done to lighten up the mood, though we do have to wonder what she was feeling as these people were waiting for her to blow them away with her audition. It is not an easy process for any performer, let alone someone that was relatively unknown during that time.
Clarke would, however, end up securing the role thanks to a moment that saw her do the robot.
She Wound Up Doing The Robot
It may seem pretty unconventional, but Clarke clearly needed to cut through some of the tension in the audition room.
According to Bustle, when speaking with Variety, the show’s creators would give some insight into the situation, saying, “Emilia asked if there was anything else she could do to lighten the mood and David asked, ‘Can you dance?’ And without missing a beat, Emilia did the robot. She did it with commitment and she did it well…and even the president had no choice but to smile."
Clarke has never been a performer who is known for her dancing skills, but clearly, she was able to make some magic happen during her audition. It’s funny to see that doing something as goofy as the robot during her audition was something that ultimately led to her landing the role of a character that isn’t exactly known for being hilarious.
Nevertheless, the folks behind the scenes saw everything that they needed from her audition, and eventually, Clarke would be extended an offer to join the show that would have a profound impact on her life.
She Lands The Gig
During their interview with Variety, the show’s creators would say, “She got the job 10 seconds after she left the room and the two of us ran to tell her before she left the building because letting her get on an 11-hour flight home without knowing seemed like cruel and unusual punishment.”
Game of Thrones would go on to be a huge sensation on the small screen, eventually reaching a point where it was the biggest show around. It seemed like the entire planet was sucked into the drama unfolding in Westeros, and each season, the show continued to up the ante.
Clarke was brilliant in her starring role, and eventually, she would receive a number of impressive awards nominations. Not only that, but Clarke would soon find herself landing roles in huge films franchises like Star Wars and Terminator, which was proof that her time on Game of Thrones boosted her career in immeasurable ways.
Emilia Clarke nearly blew her chance at the role of a lifetime, but thanks to a quirky dance cutting some tension, she got the job done and cemented her legacy on the small screen.