Image: Vincent Peters/ Esquire
In an interview with AP, Lisa Hintelmann, Esquire‘s editorial projects director, called Clarke “the all-around favorite” when talking about why she was chosen for the cover. She went on to say that “Emilia Clarke is unforgettable in Game of Thrones and was hands down the number one choice of Esquire‘s staff, friends and family.”
[ See: 16 Times Emilia Clarke Slayed the Red Carpet ]
Clarke can thank Game of Thrones for turning her acting career around. After graduating from the Drama Centre, in which she noted to Esquire in an interview that she wasn’t anyone’s favorite, she starred in a few episodes of British soap opera Doctors. According to the magazine, she had given herself a year’s timeline to make it and at that point, she hadn’t.
Image: Vincent Peters/ Esquire
Game of Thrones was recasting the role of Khaleesi for the pilot at the time and despite the character calling for a tall and willowy blonde, Clarke auditioned for the role. “I had two scenes which told me nothing and not very much time in which to read all those [George R. R. Martin] books,” Clarke said. “So I did what every good actor does and Wikipedia’d the living crap out of it.” And the rest is history.
Image: Vincent Peters/ Esquire
Pick up a copy of the November issue of Esquire to read the full interview.
