Clarke gave herself a year to become successful as an actor . Nearing her deadline , she was cast in her third professional role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy series '' Game of Thrones '' , based on the book series '' A Song of Ice and Fire '' by George R. R. Martin . Clarke received the role in 2010 after fellow British actress Tamzin Merchant was replaced for undisclosed reasons . In an interview , Clarke stated that she did the funky chicken and robot dance during her audition . The show debuted in April 2011 to positive reviews and was quickly picked up by the network for a second season . She won the 2011 EWwy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role as Daenerys . In 2013 , she was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards . She was nominated again in the category in 2015 and 2016
65th Primetime Emmy Awards
65th Primetime Emmy Awards
Emilia Clarke