Emilia Clarke is embracing Broadway nostalgia and says she would love to return to the stage in a musical. The “Game of Thrones” star shared at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of her new film “Next Life” on June 5 that one of her biggest dream projects is “Sweet Charity,” especially a version inspired by legendary choreographer Bob Fosse. Clarke said she would never pass up the chance to perform in a Broadway musical and show off her singing voice.
Her interest in returning to Broadway comes years after her first stage experience, which she has openly described as a difficult one. Clarke made her Broadway debut in 2013 in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” but later admitted that the production was not ready and that she herself was not ready for the responsibility. She called the experience “a catastrophic failure,” saying her age and lack of experience made the challenge even harder. Despite that setback, she returned to theater in 2020 with a West End production of “The Seagull,” showing that live performance still holds a special place in her career.
Clarke is currently promoting “Next Life,” a jazz-inspired sci-fi romance film in which she plays Ivy, a woman torn between two parallel realities and two romantic paths. The film also stars Édgar Ramírez and Jack Farthing. Clarke praised both co-stars and said the set felt warm, fun, and unusually close-knit, comparing the short shoot to “sleepaway camp.” She described the project as an unexpectedly memorable experience and said the production came together in a way that felt unified and creative.
Beyond “Next Life,” Clarke has several other projects ahead, including the horror film “When Darkness Loves Us” and the crime drama series “Criminal.” Her career has continued to expand beyond the fantasy world that made her famous, but she has also spoken honestly about the pressures that came with being known worldwide as Daenerys Targaryen.
In a 2022 interview with the BBC, Clarke said she had felt the weight of fan expectations after “Game of Thrones” and that some people may question whether her acting translates beyond television. Even so, she has said the stage still feels like home. She has described theater as the highest form of artistic expression and said live performance gives her a deep sense of comfort, fulfillment, and belonging.
Clarke’s Broadway memories are also tied to a very personal health battle. She has revealed that during the period when she was performing in New York, she was also dealing with the aftermath of serious brain hemorrhages and aneurysms. She has spoken about how those medical emergencies affected her emotionally and how difficult it was to live privately with such a major health crisis while working publicly. Despite those challenges, she has continued building her career and remains hopeful about future stage opportunities.
