Emilia Clarke jokes about 'Marvel' and ‘Star Wars’ flops after ‘GOT’: ‘These were jobs I said yes to’

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Emilia Clarke, best known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in 'Game of Thrones', has reflected on her Hollywood journey after rising to global fame through the hit series. She spoke about how her career path evolved as she moved from television success into large-scale studio projects.

Despite appearing in major franchises like Marvel and ‘Star Wars’, Clarke said her understanding of success and failure has changed over time. She now views audience reception and project outcomes with a more grounded perspective. 

Emilia Clarke looks back at Marvel and ‘Star Wars’ projects after ‘Game of Thrones’

Speaking to Variety, Clarke revisited her career choices and said, “These were jobs I said yes to, you know what I mean?” referring to projects such as ‘Secret Invasion’, ‘Terminator Genisys’, and ‘Star Wars’ related roles.

She added that working within established franchises often meant the final outcome was shaped by larger creative forces beyond her control.

Emilia Clarke says her idea of success has shifted over time

Clarke explained that she no longer ties her personal sense of success to how a project is received after release. Instead, she focuses more on the experience of the work itself and the decisions she made at the time.

She also shared that she has become more selective about the roles she takes, choosing projects based on interest rather than scale or franchise value.

Emilia Clarke reacts to mixed audience response to major projects

Reflecting on her past work, Clarke acknowledged the varied reception some of her projects received. She joked about the response to ‘Secret Invasion’, saying, "I don’t think no one liked that show, guys. I’m sorry!"

She further added, "Star Wars’? They didn’t like it. ‘Terminator’? That should never have happened. But these were jobs I said yes to, you know what I mean?"

Emilia Clarke reflects on life after ‘Game of Thrones’

Clarke also spoke about how ‘Game of Thrones’ continues to shape her perspective. She said she has reached a more settled and reflective place in her career after years of processing its impact.

“I have gone through every circuitous route to get to the place that I am now, which is finally being able to be very grateful for everything that ‘Game of Thrones’ did and has given me," she said.

"I no longer feel trapped in it or trapped in the result of being in it,” she added. “I feel just really lucky that it happened to me, even luckier that I’ve had time to understand what that was, and now I feel firmly on the other side.”