Emilia Clarke flaunts her glamorous look- see pictures

After appearing in numerous plays during her education at the Drama Centre London, Clarke’s acting career got off to a quiet start after her graduation, with a few bit parts in commercials and appearances on British shows like Doctors and a SyFy original movie. Screen International named her as one of the “UK Stars of Tomorrow” in 2010. They were right on the money, as her audition for Daenerys came shortly after.

However, she had to make sure her bills were paid, and when the call came from HBO, she says she was working six jobs, including as a real estate agent during the summers while she studied at university. Realizing the importance of this particular audition, she called in sick to her catering job so she could attend. Her efforts were clearly worth it, as she booked the role of a lifetime, quickly becoming one of the most celebrated young actresses in the industry.

The fact that Clarke even got the chance to audition for Game of Thrones is extraordinary, as the pilot had already been shot by the time she got that fateful call from her agent. However, in a story that is now Game of Thrones legend, the original pilot for Thrones was a complete failure, according to creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The pair said that between “overwrought” death scenes, faulty casting, and unclear storytelling, they were soundly unhappy with their first attempt, and eventually re-shot about 90% of the episode.