Game of Thrones starlet Emilia Clarke almost died from two nearly fatal brain aneurysms. This happened while the Star Wars: A Solo Story actress was filming the hit series GOT.
Daenerys Targaryen AKA Emilia Clarke opened up about how she experienced her first aneurysm. The first incident happened while she was at the gym in February 2011. This was after she had filmed the first season of Game of Thrones (to think we almost lost Daenerys after the first season).
Emilia Clarke Speaks About Her Near-Death Experience
The actress spilled the details in her piece A Battle For My Life, which was published in the New York Times.
“At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged. For a few moments, I tried to will away the pain and the nausea.”
The actress revealed that when she realized that there was something wrong, she tried to keep her head by recalling lines from Game of Thrones.
“To keep my memory alive, I tried to recall, among other things, some lines from Game of Thrones.”
ALSO READ
Confirmed: This Pakistani is the Exact Lookalike of Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones
What Happened?
The first time, she was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with subarachnoid haemorrhage. That’s a form of stroke triggered by bleeding inside areas that surround the brain.
This particular type of stroke kills around one-third of patients who experience this. Clarke was lucky to be alive at that point.
At age 24, Clarke underwent her first brain surgery. During her recovery, the actress could not even recall her own name. Her biggest worry was another condition called aphasia, which relates to language impairment. If Emilia had not recovered from this condition, she could not have continued as Daenerys after that hit first season of GOT.
“In my worst moments, I wanted to pull the plug. I asked the medical staff to let me die,…….My job — my entire dream of what my life would be — centred on language, on communication. Without that, I was lost.”
ALSO READ
This Pakistani Rapper Looks Like Khal Drogo From Game of Thrones
The Second Incident
When Emilia finally recovered and left the hospital a month later, her relief was short-lived. Doctors had found a second aneurysm that could rupture at any moment.
The actress doubted she could continue to be the ‘Mother of Dragons’. She even took morphine in-between interviews while promoting the acclaimed show.
“Even before we began filming Season 2, I was deeply unsure of myself. I was often so woozy, so weak, that I thought I was going to die.”
ALSO READ
Game of Thrones Season 8 Teaser Hints at a Battle Between Fire & Ice
When the growth in her brain doubled in size, the doctors decided to operate. That meant another month in the hospital. Miraculously, Emilia underwent a successful procedure and remains healthy to date.
Following her experience with the illness, the You Before Me actress started a charity to offer treatment to patients recovering from a stroke and brain injuries.
“There is something gratifying, and beyond lucky, about coming to the end of Thrones,…..I’m so happy to be here to see the end of this story and the beginning of whatever comes next.”
