--- title: Emilia Clarke on Game of Thrones Critics: It's Painful description: "I’ve made the naive choice to take on roles that are beloved in books, that’s literally everything I’ve done," says the Me Before You actor canonical: https://time.com/4356602/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones-critics/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-06-03T16:50:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:55:30.476Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Emilia Clarke Has Something to Say To Her 'Game of Thrones' Critics og:description: "It's like i'm voluntarily walking into the fire" og:url: https://time.com/4356602/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones-critics/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc6693751d44df40b/698896460b72e31b7e6e9b05/a9ee7d01bb3fb2d4d20f535610e7e26b4c3c6667c40c351f8b81475c824802ff-1.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3733 og:image:height: 2100 og:image:alt: a9ee7d01bb3fb2d4d20f535610e7e26b4c3c6667c40c351f8b81475c824802ff (1) og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Emilia Clarke Has Something to Say To Her 'Game of Thrones' Critics twitter:description: "It's like i'm voluntarily walking into the fire" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc6693751d44df40b/698896460b72e31b7e6e9b05/a9ee7d01bb3fb2d4d20f535610e7e26b4c3c6667c40c351f8b81475c824802ff-1.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Emilia Clarke on _Game of Thrones_ Critics: 'It's Like I'm Voluntarily Walking Into the Fire' > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: 'Thrones' Catching Up With Book Plot Means Spoilers For All [Watch (HLS stream): 'Thrones' Catching Up With Book Plot Means Spoilers For All](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/j83INjRk.m3u8) (2:02)  _Published 2015-06-16. The day_  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Jun 3, 2016 4:50 PM UTC  Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones HBO  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Jun 3, 2016 4:50 PM UTC [Daenerys](http://time.com/4324849/game-of-thrones-daenerys-dothraki-theory/) might be cool under pressure on _Game of Thrones_, [casually setting her enemies afire](http://time.com/4336953/game-of-thrones-daenerys-targaryen-fire-immunity/), but [the actress who plays her](http://time.com/4353714/game-of-thrones-emilia-clarke-pranks-me-before-you/) says that with each new season of _Thrones_, she feels the pressure building. It’s an experience Emilia Clarke has become familiar with: She’s now starred in several adaptations of beloved books and franchises, including a Broadway version of _Breakfast at Tiffany’s,_ the _Terminator_ sequel _Terminator Genisys_, and now the romance [_Me Before You_](http://time.com/4354772/me-before-you-review/) based on the bestselling Jojo Moyes romance. “I’ve made the naive choices to take on roles that are beloved in books, that’s literally everything I’ve done. For better or worse, I’ve worked really hard on all of them and tried very hard to make sure all the fans were happy and that I was on the right track,” Clarke said in a [recent interview](http://time.com/4354743/emilia-clarke/) with TIME. “For the first time ever in \[_Me Before You_\], I read it and said I know her. I’ve got this.” That’s not true of Daenerys Targaryen, whom Clarke said is her complete opposite in terms of temperament. While Clarke is a bubbly jokester, Daenerys rarely smiles. And although Clarke has earned two Emmy nominations for her performance, every year fans of George R.R. Martin’s books, _A Song of Ice and Fire,_ loudly let her know what she isn’t getting right about Dany. Meanwhile, critics have [skewered the show’s treatment of women](http://time.com/3917236/game-of-thrones-woman-problem-feminism/) in general. “It’s like I’m voluntarily walking into the fire every time,” she said. “I’m like, ‘hello I’m sorry I’m currently having a good time, I would quite like to be in pain.’ With _Game of Thrones_ there’s always that pressure. And the bigger it gets, the bigger the pressure. I’m like, don’t let this be the season where she f—s it up because I really could.” ## Transcript The Game of Thrones season five finale aired sunday and with the end of the season the show has essentially caught up with George R. R. Martin's A song of Ice and Fire series. Throughout the course of the TV series websites like ScreenRant and CheatSheet have discussed the differences between the story told on TV and in Martin's books. But specifically in the last two episodes of season five, we saw new storylines not yet revealed to book readers, and some fans aren't so happy. Prepare for spoilers. In episode nine, Dance of Dragons, Stannis Baratheon most likely lost his entire fan base when he sacrificed his daughter at the stake in a last ditch effort to change his fate with the Lord of Light. Lord of Light, show us the way. Mother. This was one of the first plot lines that Martin suggested to show runners David Benioff and Dan Weiss making it a spoiler for his next book in the series. When George first told us about this, it was one of those moments where I remember looking at Dan I was just like, God that's so, it's so horrible, and so good in a story sense. Because it all comes together. As a result [ UNKNOWN ] wife [ UNKNOWN ] hangs herself in the season finale, right before [ UNKNOWN ] ill- fated march on Windsorfell. Stansis says later, seemingly murdered by, of all people [ UNKNOWN ]. Do you have any last words? In contrast the most recent book, A Dance with Dragons, has Stannis weathering a snow storm and managing depleting supplies and men. But the most confusing plot point for the show is one that the book readers new was coming, John Snows death. When John is stabbed at the end of the fifth novel it is unclear whether he just faints or actually dies. But in the show he's clearly murdered in a scene reminiscent of Julius Caesar's betrayal. This is obviously a big deal, the death of Jon Snow. It's something we've been thinking about for a long, long time. And although Kit Harrington, who plays Snow, and show runners David Benioff and Dan Weiss have all confirmed that Snow is Is in fact dead. Martin has avoided answering whether or not Snow will make appearance in the upcoming Winds for Windsor novel. The book is rumored for release later this year. 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