Gorgeous ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Emilia Clarke Turns 40 — See Her Then & Now [PHOTOS]

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Emilia Clarke at the 2016 BAFTA Awards.

British actress Emilia Clarke turns 40 today. She was born on October 23, 1986, in London, England.

The star is, of course, known best for her role as Daenerys Targaryen, aka the Mother of Dragons, in the HBO fantasy series “Game of Thrones.”

Of course, that’s far from the only notable acting credit in her career. Clarke has also appeared in television shows like “Secret Invasion” and “Ponies,” as well as movies like 2015’s “Terminator Genisys,” 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” 2019’s “Last Christmas,” and 2026’s “Next Life.”

On the day she becomes a quadragenarian, let’s take a photographic look back through Clarke’s life and career, starting with her childhood.

Emilia Clarke as a Child

Above is a social media post featuring a picture of Emilia Clarke as a child. It’s a school portrait and Clarke looks to be around seven or eight in the snap.

First Role

Above is a social media post with a clip of Clarke in her very first screen role. It came in 2009, when she was 22, in the “Empty Nest” episode of British medical soap opera “Doctors.”

The 2010s

The 2010s saw Clarke’s career explode when she landed her iconic role as Daenerys Targaryen in “Game of Thrones.” She played the character from 2011 until 2019.

Above is a social media post with a series of promotional photographs of Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen taken in 2013.

The 2010s also saw Clarke land roles in the likes of 2015’s “Terminator: Genisys,” 2016’s “Me Before You,” 2017’s “Voice from the Stone,” 2018’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and 2019’s “Above Suspicion” and “Last Christmas.”

The Early 2020s

Since 2020, Clarke has appeared in “Secret Invasion” and “Ponies” on television, and gained movie credits in the likes of 2022’s “The Amazing Maurice,” 2023’s “The Pod Generation,” 2025’s “The Twits,” and 2026’s “Next Life.”

Emilia Clarke Now

As of 2026, Emilia Clarke is looking as gorgeous as ever. She regularly posts her exploits on social media and we strongly recommend following her on Instagram, where she currently has 27.8 million followers.

Above is a social media post with pictures of Emilia Clarke from an October 2026 Marie Claire photoshoot.

The aforementioned “Ponies” and “Next Life” are Clarke’s only acting credits in 2026 so far. She does, however, have several upcoming projects confirmed.

Clarke will feature in the Amazon crime drama series “Criminal” (which is scheduled for a 2026 release), the 2027 horror movie “When Darkness Loves Us,” animated film “The Amazing Maurice – The Waters of Life,” the biographical drama flick “An Ideal Wife,” and the documentary series “A Roadmap to Happiness.” None of the latter three yet have confirmed release dates.

We’d like to wish Emilia Clarke the happiest of 40th birthdays. We hope she has the most amazing day spending time with her nearest and dearest. Moreover, we look forward to seeing all of her upcoming work.

Emilia Clarke’s filmography info was courtesy of IMDb.