It only makes sense that a show that prominently features fire breathing dragons would turn out to be the hottest program on television. Game of Thrones has become the most talked about series in recent memory. It has also helped launch the careers of several of its lead performers. One such actress is Emilia Clarke who plays the role of the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen.

Following the show’s release in 2011, Clarke went from a relative unknown to a household name seemingly overnight. That being said, there is still plenty of things about this talented actress that most people don’t know.

She Wasn’t The First Person Chosen To Play Daenerys

After spending so much time with the Game of Thrones characters, it’s hard to imagine them being portrayed by any other performers.  However, the role of Daenerys Targaryen was originally given to another British actress by the name of Tamzin Merchant.

Merchant is a 32-year-old actress out of Sussex, England. She is perhaps best known for portraying Catherine Howard in The Tudors – a Showtime drama based on the life of King Henry VIII. She also appeared in the film Pride & Prejudice in 2005. Merchant ended up having to leave the series for undisclosed reasons and was replaced by Emilia Clarke.

She Graduated From The Drama Centre London

It’s clear that Emilia Clarke is an outstanding actress, as millions of loyal Game Of Thrones fans have observed first hand over the years. One of the reasons she is able to shine on screen is that she is a classically trained actress.  The 32-year-old is a Drama Cente London alumni. She graduated from this prestigious institution in 2009, before embarking on a stellar career.

The Drama Centre London is an acting school based in King’s Cross that first opened its doors to students back in 1963. The Centre has produced many famous actors and actress over the years. Pierce Bronson, Colin Firth, and another GOT star Gwendoline Christie also attended the school.

Her Father Was A Sound Engineer

Emila Clarke was born in Westminster, London in 1986. Her mother works for a management consultancy group, where she serves as a vice president. Clarke’s father was also involved in the entertainment industry. However, he worked behind the scenes as a sound engineer (or audio engineer).

For those who aren’t familiar with the position, sound engineers handle a wide array of a task in several different fields. These fields include television, film, and even video games. These technical wizards do everything from produce live recording to altering sound sources, through the process known as equalization. Equalization involves balancing the frequencies of electronic signals.

She Used To Date Seth MacFarlane

From 2012 to 2013, Emilia Clarke dated Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlane.  The two were involved in a long-distance romance that lasted roughly six months.

MacFarlane, who is now 45 years of age, has done a lot more than simply create Family Guy. He also created and starred in The Orville, a popular science-fiction comedy. In addition, MacFarlane helped co-created several other well-known series. Outside of television, he even has a budding music career on the side.

Since their breakup, Clarke has been romantically linked to Charlie McDowell. McDowell is arguably best known for directing The One I Love – a sci-fi film starring Elizabeth Moss.

She Is Worth An Estimated $13 Million

While she is best known for her work in Game of Thrones, Clarke has been involved in several other lucrative productions.  The actress played Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Of course, the British starlet also portrayed Sara Connor in Terminator Genisys. Solo and Terminator Genisys are just a couple of the big-budget productions she’s starred in.

As a result of her efforts, according to Celebrity Net Worth, Emilia Clarke is worth $13 million (USD).  In the last couple seasons of Game of Thrones, she’s been bringing in $1.1 million per episode.  Not a bad haul. Achieving a net worth of 13 million dollars before one’s 33rd birthday is an impressive accomplishment.

Clarke Made Her Television Debut In 2009

After graduating from Drama Centre London in 2009, Clarke made her small screen debut on an episode of the series Doctors. For those unfamiliar, Doctors is a soap opera that has been airing since March of 2000. Over 3,700 episodes of the series have aired in the United Kingdom. One of the episodes, “Empty Nest,” featured a young Emilia Clarke playing the role of Saskia Mayer.

From there, she would on to star in a television movie called Triassic Attack. The film featured folks being attacked by dinosaur skeletons.  Clarke would go from working with dinosaurs to dragons in her next TV role, that being Daenerys Targaryen.

Like many big-name stars, Emilia Clarke has done her share of voice work in recent years. In truth, she can be heard on some very popular animated series.

In 2013, she voiced a character called Marianne on the animated sci-fi show Futurama. Marianne was featured in an episode called “Stench and Stenchibility.” Clarke has also lent her vocals to Bridget – an animated character on the comedy series Robot Chicken in 2016. However, her cartoon credentials don’t end there. She was also the voice behind charters that were seen on both  Animals and Thunderbirds Are Go – both of which she worked on in 2017.

She Owns A Home In The United States

In 2016, Clarke decided to purchase a home in the United States.  The Game of Thrones star chose a dwelling in Los Angles, California as one of her residences.  According to Curbed, the actress purchased the property for $4.64 million. As one might expect for the price point, the home is fairly large – around 2,800 square feet. Among the notable features in this two-bedroom, three-bathroom beach house is a 30-foot swimming pool.

Given that Los Angeles is a hot spot for those involved in the entertainment industry, it’s easy to understand why Clarke decided to purchase a home in this particular area.

She’s A Scorpio

Emilia Clarke was born on October 23, 1986. For those into astrological signs, that makes her a Scorpio. There are some very interesting personality traits associated with this sign.

Some of the characteristics affiliated with Scorpios are intensity and mysteriousness. These happen to be traits found in the character she portrays on GOT. This may be why Clarke has done such an excellent job with the role. Scorpios are also said to be loyal, competitive, and protective. How well a person matches up with their sign varies. However, the stars can often reveal a lot about an individual.

She’s Performed On Broadway

The theater scene, particularly Broadway, is a place where performers can really show off their acting chops. Emilia Clarke took the opportunity to do just that for a couple of months in 2013. During that span, she performed in the Broadway version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Clarke played the role of Holly Golightly.

The play is based on a novel written by Truman Capote and was first published back in the late 1950s. Both the book and play center around Golightly. She is a country girl who has become a big city socialite. Clarke’s character is unemployed and makes a living by fraternizing with wealthy men.