Emilia Clarke’s fans had some interesting observations about her looks.

Emilia Clarke got her start in acting by snagging the part of Danaerys Targaryen on the hit television series Game of Thrones. For eight years she went on to fulfill the role, which ended when the series wrapped in 2019. Playing such a critical character in the series put Clarke on the map, and her career was followed by millions of fans worldwide.

Now that Game of Thrones is over, fans are adjusting to seeing the actress in a new light. With the focus being on Clarke’s latest projects and not her old work, fans are seeing that the actress is her own person outside of her roles. With that realization comes a bit of shock, especially when fans consider how long Clarke has been in the public eye.

Emilia Clarke Started Acting In Her 20s

Emilia Clarke wanted to be an actress all of her life. However, she was unable to obtain a valuable role until she was in her early 20s. Thankfully for Clarke, the job was to play Danaerys Targaryen in a new television series entitled Game of Thrones, which was based on a book series.

Picked up by HBO, the show took off and immediately had a large following, giving a significant amount of exposure to Emilia Clarke and the rest of the cast.

Being that Clarke wasn’t in the spotlight prior to this role, this was people’s first introduction to the young actress. Throughout the show’s many seasons, they fell in love with the character of Danaerys Targaryen and her iconic long blonde hair.

However, after her stint as the powerful leader ended, fans realized they couldn’t as easily attach to the actress behind the character after seeing her in one way for so long. In fact, they expressed a great deal of shock after seeing her natural look after a while out of the spotlight.

In Her 30s, Some Fans Were Shocked By Emilia’s Appearance

After wrapping up her role as Daenerys Targaryen, Emilia Clarke continued to work but wasn’t in the public eye as much. Moreover, the actress routinely went undetected when out and about due to being recognized on television for her blonde hair, which isn’t her natural color.

With fewer photos coming out online and in tabloids about the actress, fans started to pay more attention when they came across them. With that came scrutiny as to the actress’ looks, with many referring to her as old and commenting that she had rapidly aged.

Many don’t realize that Emilia Clarke has not only been in the public eye for quite some time but has also undergone extensive medical treatment for two different brain aneurysms. Any type of medical issue can cause distress to your body and cause it to age prematurely due to the trauma that ensues with treatment and the stress that comes with navigating the issue.

However, Emilia Clarke is also aging, just as any typical person does. Being that she started working on the hit series Game of Thrones in her early 20s, people immediately correlate her with a young female.

However, the show began in 2011, and all the cast members have aged with every season. When Danaerys Targaryen was first introduced, she was a young blonde in her early 20s. When the series wrapped, Danaerys Targaryen and Emilia Clarke were both in their 30s.

It’s also vital for fans and audiences to remember that Game of Thrones had stringent rules for its actors, which also surrounded their attire and makeup. Therefore, it wasn’t possible for Emilia to venture outside of her usual look while filming.

Additionally, seeing anyone without multiple layers of stage makeup will result in a night-and-day appearance. With the heavy amount of makeup that Danaerys wore on a daily basis, her aging body was able to retain a more youth-like appearance.

Emilia Clarke Still Lands Youthful Roles

Emilia Clarke is very picky with the roles that she agrees to, as she is very mindful of her reputation and wary of being typecast. Because of that, she decided against participating in 50 Shades of Grey.

Many thought that move would be career suicide, but Clarke has proven them otherwise by routinely being offered quality roles.

Towards the end of Game of Thrones and after it wrapped, Emilia Clarke played several roles, such as Lou Clark, in the movie adaptation of the best-selling book Me Before You. She also fulfilled the part of Kate in the holiday film Last Christmas, where she was a young woman who is down on her look and finds love when she least expects it.

While it may be a surprise to see such a prominent actress in a more natural state after so many years of heavy makeup and blonde wigs, it’s also comforting to see who they are in their everyday lives.

For Emilia Clarke, her first role was one that required a very different appearance than what she saw in the mirror every morning. She can now walk around as her true self, and the world can see it with her.