‘Game of Thrones’: Elizabeth Olsen Reveals ‘Terrible Audition’ for Role of Daenerys

Emilia Clarke might be a name forever synonymous with the Game of Thrones character, Daenerys Targaryen. But according to a recent interview, Avengers star, Elizabeth Olsen reveals she too auditioned for the part, though it didn’t go over as well.

In an interview with Vulture, Olsen known as the Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe revealed that when she was first starting out in the industry, she auditioned for a plethora of roles, including the Mother of Dragons herself.

“When I first started working, I just auditioned for everything, because I like auditioning. And I auditioned for Khaleesi. I forgot that,” she said. “It was the most awkward audition I’d ever had.”

Olsen went on to explain how her audition script included the speech Khaleesi gives at the end of Season 1, which she definitely flunked.

“[From] after she just burned,” Olsen said of her audition. “And she’s making this speech to thousands of people about how she’s their queen. They didn’t know if they wanted a British accent or not. So, you did it in both. It was terrible. Anytime someone says, ‘Bad audition story.’ That’s one I remember.”

While Olsen missed the opportunity to star in one of the most popular and beloved series of recent years, Clarke nailed her audition with the showrunners, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss being incredibly impressed with her handling of the complex character and sunshine demeanor.

During an interview with Variety in 2018, Weiss recalled Clarke was not only invested in the role, but her personality beamed through with every line.

“Emilia asked if there was anything else she could do to lighten the mood and David asked, ‘Can you dance?’ And without missing a beat, Emilia did the robot. She did it with commitment and she did it well…and even the president had no choice but to smile,” Weiss said, before adding that he got the job 10 seconds after she left the room.

In 2018, Clarke received the Britannia Award for British Artist of The Year and admitted in her moving speech that she was incredibly blessed by the experience of the HBO series that catapulted her to superstardom.

“I was plucked from unemployed actor obscurity, and thrust into the most defining part of my adult working life! For the next almost decade there I stayed, growing and learning and […] all the while I was being nurtured, and being taught by incredible writing and incredible direction…” Clarke said.

Over the years, nominations and awards have piled up for Clarke thanks to the series. She has been nominated for three Emmy Awards, and won a Grace Allen Award, as well as a SFX Award, just to name a few.

Game of Thrones airs its series finale tonight, May 19 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.