Who doesn’t love the Mother Of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen? But even the character itself is not as loved as the actor who played it.
Born on 23rd October in 1986, Emilia Isabel Euphemia Rose Clarke debuted with the role of a lifetime. Playing one of the major roles in one of the biggest television series of all time, Emilia got exposure, experience, and a lot of recognition. So much so that along with shooting for GoT, she got the chance to play the iconic role of Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys.
But, playing these strong women wasn’t as easy as she made it look. If you track back to the first season of GoT, you will see that Emilia was a healthy girl. Not overweight, but slightly chubby. And as her role got more and more pivotal, she had to make changes to her physical appearance.
That’s when the Emilia Clarke weight loss journey started, and that is what we will be discussing today. We’ll see how she prepared for her role in Terminator Genisys and how she is preparing herself for her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.
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Early Career
Emilia Clarke was always fascinated by actors. As she has said herself, she wanted to become an actress ever since she saw the TV show ‘Show Boat.’ Mind you- she was only three at that time, so the acting bug bit her early on.
While studying at the University of London, she would participate in theatre plays. She even did a short film by the name of ‘Drop The Dog.’ She also attended Drama Center London. It was 2009 when she started auditioning for roles. And by 2010, she had already played a lead role in the movie ‘Triassic Attack.’
Don’t worry if you haven’t heard about the movie- it wasn’t good. It might just be her worst movie ever.
But, right after the release, Emilia managed to bag what is her biggest role of hers yet. The iconic role of Khaleesi, Daenerys Targaryen, in the biggest TV series of all time, Game Of Thrones. After that, there was no stopping Emilia Clarke.
Health Issues
During the first few seasons of Game of Thrones, Emilia was suffering from a serious health condition. In 2011, she was suffering from subarachnoid hemorrhage. This condition will cause serious headaches, and nausea and sometimes lead to a brief unconsciousness. There was no choice besides surgery, so she did it.
She wrote: ‘It got so bad for me at one point that I would forget my name.’
Even though the surgery was a success, the problem came back in 2013. Luckily, it wasn’t as severe as the last time around, and now she is fine.
Emilia Clarke’s Weight Loss Journey
All of her fans know she was never overweight. But considering the “extra” requirements of her role as Khaleesi, she had to achieve a more appealing physical appearance. It became imperative when she signed for the Terminator and MCU.
So, what did she do? She hired a personal trainer, devised a diet plan, and got the job done. You can see the results of her efforts in Terminator Genisys as well as the last few GoT seasons.
However, Emilia Clarke’s weight loss became a hot topic again after Emilia’s recent appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show. She was looking so slim that it was hard to recognize her. Looks like she has started preparing for her role in Marvel’s Secret Invasion- a Disney+ series about the Skrulls that we saw in Captain Marvel.
How Much Weight Did Emilia Clarke Lose?
Emilia Clarke lost around 20 pounds before she began shooting for Terminator Genisys way back in 2015. That might not seem too impressive, but the impressive part is her mean and lean muscles that she flaunts in every action sequence.
What’s more impressive is that she has managed to maintain the same weight since then. She weighed 135 pounds, lost 20 of them, and since then, she has been at 115 pounds.
Here is how she lost the weight and maintains it:
Emilia Clarke Diet Plan
Just like everyone else, Emilia loves food. So much so that she wasn’t ready to compromise on her diet until she signed Terminator Genisys. Considering she had to do plenty of stunts involving heavy guns and armory, there was little choice for her other than to get into the best shape of her life.
So she hired the founder of Bodyism, James Duigan. He made a healthy diet plan called the “Clean & Lean” diet and proper workout routines for Emilia, which were effective and easy to follow at the same time. Other A-listers like Hugh Grant also follow the same plans.
It’s the most simple diet plan one could ask for. All you have to do is shun processed foods and sugar. Processed foods include everything from canned goods to junk food to refined flour. Along with these, Emilia also said goodbye to carbonated drinks as well as alcohol.
So, what does she eat then? Well, she eats lots of proteins and vegetables and only drinks fresh fruit juices and smoothies. For protein, the only meat she eats is fish.
At first, all this might seem very daunting, but once you see the results and feel the energy in your body, you won’t go back to your old ways ever again.
Emilia Clarke Workout Routine
With a diet plan as rigorous as this, the need for daily workouts is minimal. But Emilia still works out quite a bit. She goes to the gym 3 days a week. She has never done extreme workouts. Her main goal wasn’t losing weight; instead, she was looking to achieve a toned and muscular physique for Terminator Genisys.
So, her workouts mostly rotate between the following three types:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Bodyweight exercises at the gym
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
Her personal trainer carefully planned her workouts to have such variety. This way, Emilia can keep up the sessions without getting bored of repetitive exercises. James believes that a change should be made for all people since there are different needs for each individual.
He also emphasizes that individual workouts are more beneficial for an individual, instead of forcing him to fatigue. He, therefore, created an exercise plan that is specific to Emilia Clarke’s body type. Her trainer says
“The payoff of exercise is to energize you and make you feel good. You don’t want to be dragging yourself out of a class with a sore knee, for what? It doesn’t even work, it slows the response of your body down.
Let’s just say for argument’s sake someone wants to lose weight, the best way of doing that is focusing on your health and looking after your body, not punishing and working against it because your body will slow down and hold on.”
Emilia Clarke Before & After
Emilia Clarke’s full-body change is awesome. In her recent pictures and social media posts, you can see the way her trainer and his decision to change her looks has transformed her appearance beautifully. The leaner style is about having a healthy eating plan and body, without excess fat or toxins.
What’s Next For Emilia?
Now, Emilia is focusing on the Disney+ series Secret Invasion. There are very few details public about her role, but fans are excited to see yet another one of the GoT characters make their MCU debut.
She will be working in the biopic McCarthy along with Micheal Shannon. The biopic will revolve around the life and political career of former American Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Conclusion
The best part about Emilia Clarke’s weight loss journey is that she doesn’t go too hard on herself. She achieved amazing fitness levels just by doing moderate exercises and following a simple diet plan. It sets a good example for the insane amount of followers she has around the globe.
FAQs
Is Emilia Clarke A Vegan?
No. Emilia Clarke is not a vegan. But, she does not eat too much meat. The only meat she consumes is fish. After adopting the “Clean and Lean” program, she dumped all types of red meat.
Did Emilia Clarke Undergo Surgery?
Yes. Back in 2011, Emilia had to undergo surgery after her subarachnoid hemorrhage got worse. She has also suffered from two brain aneurysms. Thankfully the surgery was a success, and she is now completely fine.
