Emilia Clarke Says Jason Momoa Was “Kind” and “Considering” During GoT N-de Scenes
“He took care of me in an environment where I didn’t know I needed care.”
Imagine you’re a 23-year-old actress preparing for your very first major role. The first scene of your character? Getting naked, stepping into a tub, and getting ready to marry a gruff, gigantic stranger. This was the situation Emilia Clarke found herself in after being cast as Game of Thrones’ Danaerys Targaryen in 2010. Then a newcomer (she only had a few minor television roles and an acting school degree). ), Clarke might have had an uncomfortable experience signing on for full-frontal nudity sex scenes, but that wasn’t the case.
In an interview with Dax Shepard on his Armchair Expert podcast, Clarke credited former GoT co-star Jason Momoa for helping her emerge from the first season unscathed. Other actresses, of course, spoke about their negative, and sometimes traumatic, experiences of filming sex scenes in film and television. And as of 2018, HBO is now hiring intimacy coordinators for sets, ensuring safe experiences for everyone involved.
“He took care of me in an environment where I didn’t know I needed care,” Clarke said. “Jason was a seasoned actor who had done a bunch of stuff before he came to Game of Thrones. He said, ‘This is how it’s supposed to be and how it’s not supposed to be. I’m going to make sure this isn’t. So he was always like, ‘Can we buy her a bathrobe? She’s shivering!’
She also added that Momoa cried more than her during these scenes.
Now that she’s older and more experienced, Clarke appreciates Momoa’s active role more. “It’s only now that I realize how lucky I was. It could have gone many, many different ways. He was so kind and caring, and cared about me as a human being,” Clarke said.
Since the show premiered in 2011, thanks in part to the #MeToo movement, the cultural conversation around the subject of sexual assault has evolved. As such, the show and some of its cast commentary hasn’t aged well.
In 2017, Momoa made headlines for a controversial joke he made at a Comic Con panel in 2011, shortly after the show arrived on HBO. Momoa said he loves acting in the sci-fi genre because “there’s so much you can do…like rape beautiful women.” Later that year, Momoa made another flippant comment about the rape of Clarke’s character to the New York Post.
Following the blowback of his unearthed remarks, Momoa posted a public apology on Instagram. “I am still deeply disappointed in myself by the insensitivity of my remarks that day. I know my sincerest apologies will not take away those hurtful words. Rape and sexual harassment can happen to anyone. and I have seen with my own eyes his painful torment. among my own family members and friends. I have made a truly tasteless comment. This is unacceptable and I sincerely apologize with a heavy heart for the lyrics what I said.
Likewise, their characters’ love story has also drawn some criticism.
Yes, the doomed love story of Momoa’s Khal Drogo and Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen stands out for its tenderness – Etsy is full of couples’ jewelry emblazoned with the Dothraki devotional phrase (“Moon of my life, my sun and my stars”). But the glorification of Drogo and Daenerys overshadows the thwarted start to their relationship. Daenerys was effectively sold to the Dothraki leader to fuel the political aspirations of her brother, Viserys (he got his own). On their wedding night, Drogo rapes the future Mother of Dragons. It’s a painful scene to watch – and the start of the show’s controversial habit of using rape as a plot point.
But adoring Clarke and Momoas’ relationship off-screen is a lot less of a hassle than shipping their characters. Their friendship is adorable, as evidenced by Clarke’s comments in the podcast.
“He’s one of those incredibly rare people. Their personality and their spirit is just as big as he is. He’s taking over the whole world. It’s fucking beautiful,” Clarke said.
If you need more of their chemistry in your life, follow Clarke and Momoa on Instagram. They occasionally host brief Game of Thrones reunions on their pages.
