Emilia Clarkewill forever be remembered for her epic portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen on HBO’s hit seriesGame Of Thrones.
Clarke played the character for the show’s whole eight-year run from 2011-19, perIMDb.
Yet, there are so many ways that the whole situation could have gone down differently.
For one, Clarke wasn’t the first actress cast as the young Targaryen.
Among the changes that were made as a result was a change in actresses.
Tamzin Merchant, who played Catherine Howard onThe Tudors(IMDb), wasoriginally cast.
After the disaster of the first attempt at a pilot, she was replaced.
“It’s terrible to disappoint … it’s difficult to let down … that’s hard.
Another major change to Daenerys was how the character was introduced.
In the first version, she appeared happy to be marryingKhal Drogo.
The change was to establish more of her backstory and make her a more sympathetic figure.
Emilia wasn’t an exact match for Daenerys' look.
On the show, Daenerys' flowing long hair is a defining feature.
In theGame Of Throneswritten series, the Targaryens all boast purple eyes.
Daenerys, in particular, is described as having violet eyes.
I think by the time Emilia [Clarke] came along we were off that idea.
