From Daenerys Targaryen to Sarah Connor

Actor Emilia Clarke shares the ‘Terminator Genisys’ experience

NEW DELHI: She ruled the hearts of Game of Thrones fans with her impeccable and meticulous portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen and now, with the upcoming release of her latest action film Terminator Genisys, Emilia Clarke says she takes her time before choosing a role.

The 28-year-old actor is embodying Sarah Connor in the forthcoming film and will be appearing alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney. “I think long and hard before taking a role and seeing if it’s got the longevity and the depth and the complexity with which to find all of those nuances and really bring them to a believable life. And that’s what I did with Sarah,” said Emilia.

“I took her home for me every night and worked on the stuff for the next day knowing that I would turn up on set and be expected to have been doing most of the work myself,” she added.

Speaking of her experience of working with Schwarzenegger, she said it was pretty daunting. “Not only is Arnold an icon in his own right, just for being Arnold Schwarzenegger, but him as the Terminator... it was one of the most famous roles that anybody ever played. So, yeah, it was kind of scary and intimidating at first.”

“When I first met him, it was at the read-through and I was really expecting this huge ego. But that person does not exist. He’s charming and funny and sweet and kind, and brilliant with the rest of the crew,” the actor said.

Having already worked with the film’s director, Alan Taylor in Game of Thrones, Emilia said it was “joyful” and insists she got the role only because of him. “Alan’s probably the reason why I got the job if I’m honest. And so getting to work with him again was just joyful. It really took the edge off. Knowing that you’re gonna do a scene and there’s someone there who knows you and has got your back and knows what you can and can’t do. So he knew how to get the good stuff out of me,” she said. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2015.

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