Career Timeline of Emilia Clarke: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Emilia Clarke built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Emilia Clarke is an English actress renowned for her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in the acclaimed HBO series Game of Thrones, earning her four Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Beyond this iconic role, Clarke has showcased her versatility in science fiction films like Terminator: Genisys and Solo: A Star Wars Story. She has also starred in romantic dramas such as Me Before You and Last Christmas, solidifying her presence in a variety of film genres.
2009: Production of Sense
In 2009, Emilia Clarke appeared in the production of Sense, co-produced by Company of Angels and Drama Centre London.
2009: Television Debut in Doctors
In 2009, Emilia Clarke made her television debut with a guest appearance in the BBC One medical soap opera Doctors.
November 2010: Triassic Attack Release
In November 2010, Emilia Clarke starred in the television film Triassic Attack, which was released on the Syfy channel in the United States and received negative reviews. Despite the reviews, she was named a "UK Star of Tomorrow" by the film magazine Screen International.
2010: Casting in Game of Thrones
In 2010, Emilia Clarke was cast as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones, replacing Tamzin Merchant.
April 2011: Game of Thrones Premiere
In April 2011, Game of Thrones premiered, with Emilia Clarke playing Daenerys Targaryen.
September 2011: Joined SMA UK Trust Team as Celebrity Ambassador
In September 2011, Emilia Clarke became the celebrity ambassador for the SMA UK Trust Team, an organization that raises funds for research into spinal muscular atrophy.
2011: Game of Thrones Premiere
In 2011, Emilia Clarke began her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones.
2012: Release of Shackled
In 2012, Emilia Clarke's first film role, Shackled, was released.
April 2013: Broadway Production of Breakfast at Tiffany's
From March to April 2013, Emilia Clarke played Holly Golightly in a Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany's, receiving mixed reviews.
May 2013: Casting in The Garden of Last Days
In May 2013, Emilia Clarke was cast in a film adaptation of the novel The Garden of Last Days, but James Franco left the project.
2013: Broadway Debut in Breakfast at Tiffany's
In 2013, Emilia Clarke made her Broadway debut as Holly Golightly in the play Breakfast at Tiffany's.
2013: Casting in Terminator Genisys
In 2013, Emilia Clarke was cast as Sarah Connor in the science fiction action film Terminator Genisys.
2014: Game of Thrones Video Game
In 2014, Emilia Clarke lent her voice and likeness to the video game of Game of Thrones.
March 2015: North American Distribution of Spike Island
In March 2015, Level 33 Entertainment picked up the comedy film Spike Island, starring Emilia Clarke, for North American distribution.
2015: Terminator: Genisys Release
In 2015, Emilia Clarke played Sarah Connor in the science fiction film Terminator: Genisys.
2015: Casting in The Beauty Inside
In 2015, Emilia Clarke was cast as the lead in the English language adaptation of the 2015 Korean romantic comedy The Beauty Inside.
2015: Dior Brand Ambassador
In 2015, luxury goods company Dior signed Emilia Clarke to be the face of the Rose des Vents jewellery collection.
June 2016: Release of Me Before You
On June 3, 2016, the film adaptation of Me Before You, starring Emilia Clarke, was released and received mixed critical reviews.
November 2016: Casting in Solo: A Star Wars Story
In November 2016, Emilia Clarke was cast as the female lead in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
2016: Me Before You Release
In 2016, Emilia Clarke starred in the romantic drama Me Before You.
April 2017: Release of Voice from the Stone
In April 2017, Emilia Clarke starred as Nurse Verena in the supernatural psychological thriller film Voice from the Stone, which had a limited theatre run followed by video on demand and digital HD.
August 2017: Became Patron of Open Door
In August 2017, Emilia Clarke became a patron of Open Door, a nonprofit organization that helps young people access drama school auditions.
2017: Highest Paid Actors on TV
In 2017, Emilia Clarke reportedly became one of the highest-paid actors on television, earning between £1.2 and £2 million per episode of Game of Thrones.
February 2018: Introduced Award Recipients at Centrepoint Awards
In February 2018, Emilia Clarke introduced the award recipients at London's Centrepoint Awards, an event that celebrates the courage shown by homeless young people.
April 2018: Named Ambassador to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN)
In April 2018, Emilia Clarke was named the sole ambassador to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). In this role, Clarke pledged to advocate for greater investment in nursing and challenge misconceptions, as well as tackle issues affecting the profession like training shortages.
May 2018: Premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story
In May 2018, Solo: A Star Wars Story, starring Emilia Clarke, premiered.
August 2018: Featured in "Leading Lady Parts"
In August 2018, Emilia Clarke, along with other UK-based actresses, appeared in the short film "Leading Lady Parts," which addresses gender inequality in the film industry's casting process.
2018: Dolce & Gabbana Brand Ambassador
In 2018, Dolce & Gabbana announced Emilia Clarke would be the brand ambassador for the fragrance "The Only One".
2018: Solo: A Star Wars Story Release
In 2018, Emilia Clarke played Qi'ra in the film Solo: A Star Wars Story.
April 2019: Saturday Night Live Cameo
In April 2019, Emilia Clarke made a cameo appearance during Kit Harington's monologue on Saturday Night Live.
May 2019: Game of Thrones Finale
In May 2019, Game of Thrones concluded after eight seasons, with Emilia Clarke portraying Daenerys throughout the series.
May 2019: Casting in Let Me Count the Ways
In May 2019, it was announced that Emilia Clarke is set to play the English poet Elizabeth Barrett in the film Let Me Count the Ways.
September 2019: Co-hosted YouTube Live Stream for SameYou
On 26 September 2019, Emilia Clarke co-hosted a YouTube live stream with Jacksepticeye that raised over £200,000 for her charity, SameYou.
2019: Release of Above Suspicion and Last Christmas
In 2019, Emilia Clarke starred in Above Suspicion and Last Christmas.
2019: Last Christmas Release and Game of Thrones Finale
In 2019, Emilia Clarke starred in Last Christmas, and Game of Thrones concluded after eight seasons.
2019: Fifty Shades of Grey Rejection
In a 2019 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Emilia Clarke revealed she turned down the role of Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades of Grey due to the nudity required.
March 2020: Previews of The Seagull
In March 2020, Emilia Clarke starred as Nina in the West End production of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, which began previews on 11 March 2020 but was suspended on 16 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 2020: Began Fundraiser for SameYou's COVID-19 Fund
In April 2020, Emilia Clarke initiated a fundraiser to support her charity's COVID-19 fund, aiming to raise £250,000 for the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston and the University College Hospital in London. This initiative sought to increase bed availability for coronavirus patients through a virtual rehabilitation clinic for brain injury and stroke recovery.
September 2020: Participated in Virtual Reading of "Private Lives"
In September 2020, Emilia Clarke, alongside Emma Thompson, Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Robert Lindsay, took part in a virtual reading of the play "Private Lives" by Noël Coward, with all funds raised supporting theatre industry professionals financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Presented with Public Leadership in Neurology Award
In 2020, Emilia Clarke was presented with the Public Leadership in Neurology award by the American Brain Foundation for her efforts in raising awareness about neurorehabilitation.
2020: Murder Manual Feature
In 2020, the short film Shackled, featuring Emilia Clarke, was included in the Amazon Prime Video horror anthology series Murder Manual.
2020: Clinique Global Ambassador
In early 2020, Cosmetics company Clinique announced Emilia Clarke as their first global ambassador.
April 2021: Casting in Secret Invasion
In April 2021, Emilia Clarke joined the cast of Secret Invasion for Disney+, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
October 2021: Casting in McCarthy Biopic
In October 2021, Emilia Clarke was cast to portray Jean Kerr, wife of Joseph McCarthy, in a biopic titled McCarthy.
2021: Publication of M.O.M.: Mother of Madness
In 2021, Emilia Clarke published the first in a series of comic books titled M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, which she co-wrote with Marguerite Bennett.
July 2022: Resumption of The Seagull
In July 2022, the West End production of The Seagull, starring Emilia Clarke, resumed and was broadcast internationally via National Theatre Live.
October 2022: Casting in An Ideal Wife
In October 2022, it was announced that Emilia Clarke is set to play Irish author Constance Lloyd in director Sophie Hyde’s film An Ideal Wife.
December 2022: Release of The Amazing Maurice in the UK
On December 16, 2022, the animated film The Amazing Maurice, in which Emilia Clarke was cast, was released in the United Kingdom.
January 2023: Premiere of The Pod Generation
In January 2023, Emilia Clarke starred in and executive produced The Pod Generation, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
February 2023: Release of The Amazing Maurice in the US
On February 3, 2023, the animated film The Amazing Maurice, in which Emilia Clarke was cast, was released in the United States.
June 2023: Premiere of Secret Invasion
In June 2023, Secret Invasion premiered, with Emilia Clarke as part of the cast.
2023: Secret Invasion Miniseries
In 2023, Emilia Clarke played G'iah in the Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries Secret Invasion.
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