Emilia Clarke Reveals Two Brain Hemorrhages
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Emilia Clarke, the 39-year-old actress who rose to global stardom as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s immensely popular fantasy series *Game of Thrones*, has revealed the harrowing, life-or-death struggles she faced behind the scenes of her monumental success. Clarke endured two life-threatening brain hemorrhages, or strokes, during her tenure on the show, a battle she largely kept private for years.
The first incident occurred during filming, leaving Clarke so overwhelmed she believed she was dying. Describing the terrifying moment, she recounted, “It felt like an elastic band just snapped in my head.” As she was rushed to the hospital, she repeatedly told herself, “I am an actress, I need to stay awake,” driven by a desperate urge to remain conscious and preserve her dream career.
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Following her recovery, Clarke was consumed by a profound sense of guilt and shame. She lived in constant fear that producers or creators, learning of her illness, would deem her “weak” or “incapable” and remove her from the show. While she confided in showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, she kept her struggles hidden from the wider public for an extended period.
The second major health crisis struck Clarke while she was performing on Broadway in New York. A second aneurysm was discovered in her brain, necessitating emergency surgery that brought her perilously close to death. Recalling that harrowing experience, she stated, “Doctors were telling my parents every half hour that I wasn’t going to make it.” This second stroke left her emotionally shattered, eroding her trust in her own body and mind.
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Just days after the surgery, Clarke was scheduled to participate in a promotional event for the series at San Diego Comic-Con. Before stepping onto the stage, she remembers thinking, “If I’m going to die, I’m going to die on live television.”
Despite such immense physical and psychological trauma, Clarke believes that acting ultimately saved her during that period, as she clung to her work to navigate the ordeal.
In 2019, she established “SameYou,” a charity dedicated to providing mental and medical assistance to individuals recovering from brain injuries or strokes. The organization specifically aims to combat the profound loneliness often experienced after such illnesses.
Reflecting on her decade-long *Game of Thrones* journey, Clarke now views the series as an extraordinary magic in her life and the most memorable chapter of her youth.
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