Has ‘Game of Thrones’ alum Emilia Clarke retired because of ill health?

When it comes to the lasting impact of Game of Thrones, no conversation about the cast & crew is complete without dragon mother Emilia Clarke. As one of the leading lights of the entire series, it seemed unlikely that the character could ever be brought to their knees. 

However, fans recently held their breath and astonishment as news broke out that the actress had suffered two life-threatening brain aneurysms during her time on the HBO drama. Having recently recovered, she is now speaking out about her experiences in recovery. Let’s take a closer look at what she had to say.

Near miss

In an interview with the BBC Sunday Morning on July 17, Clarke opened up about her health ordeal with incredible details that are making the rounds across social media. “ I am in the really, really, really small minority of people that can survive that,” she said.

Although she considers herself as “quite the resilient human being”, Emilia Clarke continues to consider the two brain hemorrhages she suffered with no ill will. “The amount of my brain that is no longer usable— it is remarkable that I am able to speak, sometimes articulately, and live my life completely normally with absolutely no repercussions,” the Me Before You actress said.

Despite the terror that usually comes with experiences like this, the actress maintains her memories are rather humorous when asked to recollect her experience. “ There’s quite a bit missing, which always makes me laugh,” she mused. “Because strokes, basically, as soon as any part of your brain doesn’t get blood for a second, it’s gone. And so the blood finds a different route to get around, but then whatever bit is missing is therefore gone.”

First ordeal

In March 2019, Amelia Clark first opened up about her health in an iPad posted in the New Yorker. She wrote about how in 2011 she had suffered her first brain aneurysm while at the gym at 24 years old, an incredibly young age to be experiencing such an affliction. 

She recounted in vivid detail how she had to pause her workout due to sudden unbearable pain. “The pain — shooting, stabbing, constricting pain – was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening: my brain was damaged,” she shared. She also remembers trying to recall Game Of Thrones lines in order to keep her brain sharp as the pain continued to increase. 

Upon receiving the results of her brain’s first MRI, she was diagnosed with a “subarachnoid hemorrhage, a life-threatening type of stroke, caused by bleeding into the space surrounding the brain. I’ve had an aneurysm, an arterial rupture.” 

The aftermath

Clarke soon learned that about a third of patients who suffer from this experience die immediately or soon thereafter. “For the patients who do survive, urgent treatment is required to seal off the aneurysm.” the actress said.

Although the brain surgery was incredibly vital, the actress says it was “minimally invasive”. “This would not be my last surgery, and it would not be the worst,” she foreshadowed. In fact, the actress once again underwent surgery in 2013 after a growth on the other side of her brain had doubled in size. 

Recovery now

As time went on after her role in the legendary series ended, Emilia Clarke continues to be amazed at the speed and depth of her recovery when so few have ever lived to tell the tale as she has. As an actress on Me Before You, Clarke is counting her blessings as her star continues to rise and her legacy in Hollywood is further cemented.

While it can never be predicted when or if another stroke can strike, there is more research than before regarding brain aneurysms. While recovery from such experiences can never be guaranteed, especially in the way that Clarke has recovered, clinical prevention and treatment are also more readily available than ever before.

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What other roles would you like to see Emilia Clarke take on, having recovered from such terrifying ordeals? Let us know in the comments!