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Emilia Clarke Reveals Fearing She'll Get Fired From Game Of Thrones After Suffering Two Brain Injuries
Emilia Clarke revealed the inner turmoil she experienced following her brain injuries, highlighting the daunting prospect of potentially being let go from the iconic show due to her health struggles.
Emilia Clarke feared she would be fired from Game of Thrones following her brain hemorrhage in February 2011, around the time the first season of the HBO fantasy drama aired. For those who may not know, Clarke played Daenerys Targaryen in the highly acclaimed series.
She suffered the said brain bleed while working out in a gym in North London but kept it largely a secret from her colleagues on the show. Doctors also discovered a second brain injury in 2013, while she was still acting as the mother of dragons.
Here’s what Emilia Clarke had to say about her health struggles, more than a decade after she first suffered them.
Emilia Clarke recalls going back to work within weeks of suffering a brain bleed
"When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight," Clarke, 37, said in an interview with The Big Issue published on Monday, June 10.
The actress added that the first fear she had was, “Oh my God, am I going to get fired? Am I going to get fired because they think I'm not capable of completing the job?”
Although Clarke returned to film the series after her first brain bleed within weeks, the Me Before You actress worried she might experience another one due to the stress and pressure of working on such a large production, per The Big Issue. But Clarke persisted, saying, “Well, if I'm going to die, I better die on live TV.”
Clarke previously opened up about her brain injuries in an essay for The New Yorker in March 2019, where she said she learned that a third of SAH patients died immediately or soon after experiencing a brain injury. Following her first surgery, Clarke recalled how she suffered from aphasia and couldn't even remember her name.
After her second surgery for the other brain bleed she suffered in 2013, Emilia Clarke mentioned having titanium pieces implanted in her skull and a scar that extends from her scalp to her ear.
Emilia Clarke and her mother Jennifer Clarke set up a charity to aid people with brain injuries
The mother-daughter duo were made Members of the British Order of the Empire for their charitable work surrounding brain injuries earlier this year. Emilia and Jennifer Clarke founded SameYou in 2019 after the actress survived two life-threatening brain injuries.
Jenny has also undergone surgery for a brain bleed, Emilia told the press at the event where Prince William himself bestowed the MBE insignia to Emilia and Jennifer Clarke.
Previously, Clarke had voiced worries regarding the understaffing of rehabilitation services. However, rehabilitation has now become the primary focus of her charity, which aims to raise funds and increase awareness of brain injury and stroke.
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