Emilia Clarke on Being a Woman in Hollywood: ‘I Do Get Treated Differently’

Emilia Clarke, Mother of Dragons, destine ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and feminist.

Clarke opened up about experiencing sexism in Hollywood in a recent a Rolling Stone interview. She also spoke about her role on the HBO series “Game of Thrones” as Khaleesi, a dominant female character.

“I feel so naive for saying it, but it’s like dealing with racism,” she said. “You’re aware of it, and you’re aware of it, but one day, you go, ‘Oh, my God, it’s everywhere!’ Like you suddenly wake up to it and you go, ‘Wait a f—ing second, are you … are you treating me different because I’ve got a pair of tits? Is that actually happening?’ It took me a really long time to see that I do get treated differently. But I look around, and that’s my daily life.”

Even with her onscreen nudity, Clarke adds that she embraces Khaleesi’s character as she has battled her way to the top. “It doesn’t stop me from being a feminist,” she said. “Like, guess what? Yes, I’ve got mascara on, and I also have a high IQ, so those two things can be one and the same.”

With Clarke’s realization of inequality between male and female actors in Hollywood, she mentions that just like her character, women have been able to rise from the ground up throughout history.

“Women have been great rulers. And then for that to be a character that I’m known to play? That’s so f—ing lucky. Anyone who seems to think that it’s not needed need only look at the political environment we’re all living in to be like, ‘Oh, no, it’s needed. It is needed.'”

“Game of Thrones” Season 7 will debut July 16 on HBO.

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