From her breakout role as the Mother of Dragons to her heartfelt charity work, Emilia Clarke has managed to win over fans both on and off the screen. The London-born actress, who turned 37 in October 2023, has carved out a remarkable career – all while keeping much of her personal life out of the public eye.
When Clarke first appeared as Daenerys Targaryen in HBO’s Game of Thrones, audiences quickly took notice – but few could have guessed just how much the series would change her life. Since then, she’s shown her range in films like Me Before You, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Last Christmas. Even as her fame has grown, people who work with her often mention how down-to-earth she remains.
Behind the Scenes: Emilia’s Personal Life
Unlike Daenerys’s epic romances, Clarke’s relationships have been notably private. She’s rarely one to discuss her love life in interviews, telling Vanity Fair in 2018, “I’m not going to say much about anything that’s happened in my life publicly, because I value my privacy too much.”
Most of what we know about Clarke’s dating history comes from the occasional paparazzi shot or a cryptic Instagram post. Back in 2018, she was seen with director Charlie McDowell (whose father is actor Malcolm McDowell), and fans noticed a few low-key social media posts before their relationship ended in early 2019.
Before that, Clarke dated actor Jai Courtney for a short time around 2015 after they met promoting Terminator Genisys. Their relationship flew mostly under the radar, just like her brief connection with Broadway actor Cory Michael Smith in 2014, after they worked together in Breakfast at Tiffany’s on stage.
Rumors have cropped up about Clarke’s co-stars – particularly Kit Harington – but she’s always brushed those aside with a laugh. When asked about Harington in a 2017 interview, Clarke joked, “He’s like a brother to me,” making it clear the two were just friends (Harington is now married to their fellow Game of Thrones alum, Rose Leslie).
Finding Balance in the Spotlight
Part of what sets Clarke apart is how she’s managed her relationships and privacy, especially given what she’s been through. In 2019, she shared with the world that she’d survived two brain aneurysms during the early years of Game of Thrones – life-altering experiences that changed her outlook.
“Going through that made me realize that actually, the most important thing in life is love and family and friendship,” she told The New Yorker. It’s a perspective that seems to guide not only her career but also her private life – prioritizing what’s meaningful over what’s public.
As of early 2024, Clarke is reportedly single and focusing on her work, including her charity SameYou, which helps support brain injury recovery. She’s kept busy with new projects like Marvel’s Secret Invasion and some exciting voice work in animation.
When asked by Harper’s Bazaar in 2020 what she’s learned about relationships, Clarke was candid: “I think in the early days I was looking for approval too much. Now I’m much more interested in connecting with someone who gives as much as they take.”
Past Relationships
Sebastian ‘Bassi’ Fox
Charlie McDowell
Jai Courtney
Cory Michael Smith
Jared Leto
James Franco
Seth MacFarlane
For someone who played one of television’s most talked-about love stories, Clarke is refreshingly private about her own. She seems determined to leave the drama on the screen, keeping her personal life just that – personal.
