It's difficult to imagine a Game of Thrones without Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Over eight seasons, Clarke transformed the exiled, white-haired princess from a frightened young woman into one of the most powerful and complicated characters in fantasy TV. Her performance is so synonymous with Dany that it's surprising to learn she wasn't actually the first actor to play the Westerosi character.
Before Game of Thrones became the cultural phenomenon that dominated TV for most of the 2010s, HBO had to make some major changes to its original pilot episode. The unaired pilot received poor feedback during private screenings for its huge changes to George R. R. Martin's books, confusing storylines, and lackluster visuals. HBO ordered extensive reshoots, but among the biggest of changes was the recasting of Daenerys Targaryen.
Tamzin Merchant, who is best known for her work in Pride and Prejudice and Tudors, played the iconic Targaryen in Game of Thrones' original pilot. She was 21 years old when she was cast for the fantasy series in 2009; the unaired episode was never released to the public, but Merchant declined to return to reshoot the pilot, which opened the role to a new round of casting.
There is no single, public explanation for why Merchant was replaced, but former HBO exec Michael Lombardo later suggested her scenes opposite Jason Momoa's Khal Drogo didn't work as intended. Merchant herself has explained that she previously tried to leave the production, having felt like the role wasn't right for her. Referring to Daenerys' wedding night scene, Merchant spoke to Entertainment Weekly, saying:
It was an affirmation about listening to my instincts and following them, because I tried to back out of that situation and, during the contract process, I did back out. I was talked back into it by some persuasive people. Then I found myself naked and afraid in Morocco and riding a horse that was clearly much more excited to be there than I was.
With Merchant then out of the project, the hunt for a new actor to play Daenerys was on. Discovered by casting director Nina Gold, Emilia Clarke was a 23-year-old caterer, working multiple jobs, when she landed the role. During her audition, she impressed the showrunners with her ability to handle Daenerys' complex range and intensity, and she further won over the showrunners with her humorous charm, which she displayed by performing dances like the robot and the funky chicken to "lighten the mood."
Interestingly, another major actor auditioned for the role. Elizabeth Olsen, known for playing Wanda Maximoff in the MCU, auditioned for the role in New York. Describing it as her most "awkward" audition, Olsen was asked to perform one of Daenerys' dramatic speeches and read the material in both a British and American accent because the producers hadn't yet settled on how Dany would sound. Ultimately, she didn't feel she was right for the role.
Emilia Clarke's greatest achievement in the role was making Dany's evolution feel believable. Early seasons of Game of Thrones see Daenerys as a timid woman who's heavily controlled by Viserys, with very little power over her own life. Clarke masters that vulnerability without ever making the character feel passive, allowing small moments of confidence to become increasingly important as Daenerys discovers her own strength. As Game of Thrones progresses, Clarke portrays an almost completely different Dany without losing the qualities that made her compelling in the first place. She becomes a leader, conqueror, and eventually a frightening figure, and Clarke's incredible performance provides a connection between every version of the character.
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