Emilia Clarke brushes off exaggerated salary claims from Game of Thrones. The fantasy-drama show was a global phenomenon that transformed the television industry forever by demonstrating that high-budget, R-rated fantasy could reach previously unheard-of scale. It opened the floodgates for the Golden Age of Streaming, gave rise to a huge international tourism business for filming locations, and irrevocably changed standards for serialized storytelling and modern pop cultural lexicon. But the biggest change came in the lives of the star cast, particularly Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s blockbuster.

But with success comes unsubstantiated rumors that haunt one forever. In this case, it is the ridiculous salary estimates Clarke received while working on Game of Thrones.

In a sit-down with Variety in April at the Hotel Café Royal in London, Emilia Clarke, in a very jestful way, refutes the overly exaggerated claims of the Game of Thrones main cast's salary being around $300,000 per episode while talking about the change the show brought in the actor’s life.    

“We didn’t earn that much. Can you imagine? I’d have been driving a couple of Porsches!” Clarke said jokingly.

She discusses how the cast's lives were completely transformed by Game of Thrones, which went on to become a worldwide phenomenon. First of all, Clarke was able to pay off her parents' mortgage because of the financial stability. Of course, she was also terrified and perplexed by the worldwide recognition.

“I spent a lot of time trying to understand it. And then you realize it’s just a formula: The less you’re on TV, the less famous you are. It comes, and it goes,” she said.

Over the years, she has figured out the way to navigate around all the attention and focus on what is more important. The actress who has been a part of popular franchises such as Terminator and Star Wars has seen her fair share of ups and downs in her career, and she now has a better understanding of how fame actually works.

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However, her years of acting career have also taught her the true meaning behind success.

In the year 2019, when the world was baffled by the abrupt and subpar finale of Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke was praying hard for her first Emmy after being nominated for the award three times. But when she lost again, she was bitter about it. What also bothered her was the fact that everyone is now over the Game of Thrones fever, and she might be now old news. 

But after that night, Clarke made a vow to herself to never feel that way ever again and try to change her perception of success. Whether she succeeded in her efforts is for her to know, but by the choices of her scripts, it can be said she is choosing quality work over sensationalising stories.

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What is the bizarre salary claim you have heard of about the Game of Thrones actress? Do let us know.