Emilia Clarke, known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, has shared a deeply emotional account of balancing work commitments while her father battled cancer during his final days. In a recent episode of the podcast How To Fail with Elizabeth Day, the actress recounted the painful experience of losing her father while working on a film set.
Filming Amidst Personal Turmoil
Clarke revealed that she was filming a small independent movie in Kentucky when her father was seriously ill in hospital. She recalled the internal conflict of leaving him to continue working: “I was filming this tiny movie that barely even got released because I really wanted to do it. And I remember leaving and then being like, ‘Should I be leaving?’”
Her mother encouraged her to proceed, saying, “Your father’s a professional. He would kill you if you didn’t do this job.”
A Devastating Call
While in Kentucky, Clarke received a call informing her that her father was undergoing an operation he “might not live through.” He survived the surgery initially, but soon after, she received another call asking her to return home. By the time she arrived, her father was in a coma.
Clarke spent three days by his side, but then her production team called, insisting she return to finish filming. Her mother again urged her to go back, saying, “You’ve got two weeks left. Just go, just go back.”
The Final Journey
Shortly after returning to Kentucky, Clarke was woken in the middle of the night with an urgent message: “It’s time. You got to come back.” She left without telling anyone. During the agonising flight home, with no way to contact her family, she imagined herself as a butterfly flying around the hospital, reassuring her father that she was coming.
Clarke eventually fell asleep and had a vivid dream in which her father’s hospital bed appeared next to her airline seat. He turned and said, “I just came to say goodbye.”
The Butterfly Connection
Upon landing, she received a text from her mother: “Don’t rush.” She immediately knew her father had passed away. After returning home, she spent time with his body alongside her family. Then, a butterfly flew into the room, a moment that left a lasting emotional impact. Clarke said butterflies have since become deeply connected to memories of her father.
The actress, who has previously spoken about surviving two brain haemorrhages, continues to honour her father’s memory through these small, meaningful signs.
