Actress Emilia Clarke rose to superstardom for her role as Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” While the series built her career, she was quietly suffering behind the scenes. Years later, Clarke bravely came forward and revealed she had two brain hemorrhages while filming.
Now, she’s opening up about the path to recovery. She went on to found a charity dedicated to helping others find their way again after their own brain bleeds.
Emilia Clarke Talks Living With Trauma After Her Medical Emergencies
This week, award-winning actress Emilia Clarke spoke at Variety’s Power of Women London event.
Clarke began by describing the brain hemorrhages in her early 20s. She was 22 and filming “Game of Thrones” during the first incident, and 24 and performing on Broadway during the second. Years later, she’s reflecting on how challenging the entire experience was for her.
“I never had the chance to reflect on what my two brain traumas had done to me because I could walk, talk, be myself, remember my lines and was back on camera within weeks of both brain injuries,” the 39-year-old addressed the audience. At the time, she thought her symptoms were merely indicative of stress or rigorous filming schedules.
“It never occurred to me that maybe the problem wasn’t me…that it was because brain injury is extraordinarily complex, and we’re still only beginning to understand the impact it can have long after you’ve supposedly recovered,” Clarke added.
In the aftermath of her medical emergencies, Emilia Clarke and her mother founded the charity SameYou in 2019. The website describes the organization as “a brain injury recovery charity that works to develop better mental health recovery treatment for survivors, raises awareness and advocates for improvement in rehabilitation provision.”
At first, the actress felt “ashamed” about her diagnosis. But she later decided to come forward and use her platform to spread awareness.
“When I finally shared my story in 2019, we were overwhelmed by the response,” Clarke continued in her speech. “Mostly young people reached out to tell us their own stories. Today we have tens of thousands of survivors in our community saying essentially the same thing: the journey to healing feels like falling off the edge of a cliff without anyone there to catch you.”
The ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Felt That She ‘Cheated Death’
Thankfully, Emilia Clarke got back on her feet. She went on to build a thriving acting career, starring in other roles, such as “Me Before You.”
However, the 39-year-old remembers the strange feeling that came with overcoming such traumatic medical challenges.
“For a number of years, I felt that I had cheated death, and it was coming to get me,” Clarke told Variety in a recent interview. “I truly felt like I had done something wrong, and I shouldn’t be here. I also thought it ruined my ability to act — which some people might agree with!”
Emilia Clarke’s charity SameYou invites survivors of brain hemorrhages to share their stories. Information about the organization and ways to give back are available on the website.
