Emilia Clarke says reports that she and the main cast were paid $300,000 per episode on “Game of Thrones” aren’t accurate, calling the number impossible to imagine. She also looks back on losing her Emmy in 2019 and signals a potential return to awards season
When Emilia Clarke talks about “Game of Thrones,” she doesn’t just remember Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons and quests—she remembers the moments that still sting.
In an interview with Variety, the 39-year-old actress pushed back on a persistent rumor about how much she was paid per episode on the Emmy-winning HBO series. Claims have circulated that she and the rest of the main cast were earning $300,000 an episode. Clarke said that figure isn’t accurate.
“We didn’t earn that much,” she told Variety. “Can you imagine? I’d have been driving a couple of Porsches.”
The $300,000 number didn’t come out of nowhere. Deadline reported in 2014 that Clarke and her costars—Peter Dinklage. Kit Harington. Lena Headey. and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau—were being paid “close to $300. 000 an episode.” By 2017. the outlet said the stars had received a salary bump and would be paid “north of $500. 000 an episode” for the seventh and eighth seasons.
Those final seasons, however, were short by the standards of earlier runs. The last two seasons consisted of seven episodes and six episodes, respectively.
Clarke starred on “Game of Thrones” from 2011 to 2019. portraying Daenerys Targaryen. who sets out to claim the Iron Throne of Westeros with her dragons. She earned four Emmy nominations for the series, but never won. Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister, was the only cast member to take home an Emmy for their role.
The pay conversation inevitably brushes up against something more personal: what it felt like to keep coming up short.
Clarke told Variety that she was crushed after losing the Emmy for the final time in 2019, when Jodie Comer won for “Killing Eve.” Clarke said losing the award was “really significant,” and that it made her feel like, “Everyone’s over ‘Game of Thrones’ now – you’re old news.”
She described reacting impulsively—skipping the Emmys afterparties and going straight home. Then, when she woke up the next morning, she said she felt embarrassed and vowed to never behave that way again.
There’s a fresh chapter on the horizon. Speaking with Variety. Clarke suggested she could be back in the Emmy race this year for her performance on “Ponies. ” the Peacock show about CIA operatives that pairs her with Haley Lu Richardson. The series premiered in January, but it has not yet been renewed for a second season.
Outside Clarke’s own spotlight, the broader “Thrones” universe is still moving forward. “House of the Dragon,” the prequel series, is set to return for its third season on June 21.
Emilia Clarke Game of Thrones Daenerys Targaryen salary rumor Emmy loss Variety Deadline 2014 north of $500 000 an episode Ponies Peacock Haley Lu Richardson House of the Dragon June 21