Indira Varma Rehearsed Play With Fellow ‘Game of Thrones’ Alum Emilia Clarke Ahead of Coronavirus Diagnosis

Game of Thrones star Indira Varma has tested positive for the coronavirus, shortly after interacting with her former co-star Emilia Clarke. Varma was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, she revealed in a post on her Instagram Stories. Before that, she and Clarke were rehearsing for a play together in London.

“I’m in bed with [coronavirus] and it’s not nice,” Varma told her followers on Instagram last week. “Stay safe and healthy and be kind to your fellow people.” Varma is known for playing Elaria Sand, paramour of Doran Martell on Game of Thrones. She briefly shared the screen with Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, but they almost shared the stage in London’s West End.

Varma and Clarke were both set to appear together in The Seagull, a classic play written by Anton Chekhov. It is unclear when the rehearsals took place, or if Varma’s case of COVID-19 might have spread to any of the cast and crew. At the very least, the photos were taken before Feb. 24. Either way, for some fans it was eerie to see photos of Varma next to other actors alongside her announcement that she has the virus.

“So sad our and so many other shows around the world have gone dark affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. We hope to be back soon and urge you all (and the govt) to support us when we do. Phoenix/ Seagull rising from the ashes,” Varma wrote of the production.

Varma is the second Game of Thrones star to confirm that she has contracted COVID-19, the first being Kristofer Hivju, who played Tormund Gianstbane in the series. Hivju was set to appear in Season 2 of The Witcher for his next project, but the production is now on hiatus.

Varma currently has a starring role on ABC’s For Life, playing Safiya Masry. The show wrapped production in January, according to a report by Deadline, so it is unlikely Varma’s case of COVID-19 circulated there.

Clarke’s last Instagram post is from February, promoting The Seagull with some of the same photos Varma posted. The show was meant to go on from March 11-20, according to Clarke. So far, she has not addressed the cancellation on social media.

At the time of this writing, there are over 417,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, and 18,605 deaths. In the U.S., there are over 53,000 confirmed cases and 696 confirmed deaths. For the latest on the pandemic, visit the CDC’s website.