Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke has hit back at critics who have accused the show of being sexist.
Emilia who plays Daenerys Targaryen in the hit HBO series, told Entertainment Weekly in their GoT cover story this week: “There’s so much controversy, yet, that’s what’s beautiful about ‘Game of Thrones’ — its depiction of women in so many different stages of development.
There are women depicted as sexual tools, women who have zero rights, women who are queens but only to a man, and then there are women who are literally unstoppable and as powerful as you can possibly imagine.”
Throne’s producers have never shied away from controversy. Both Emilia Clarke and Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark, have been involved in rape scenes that caused a stir among both critics and viewers.
Last year, Time criticised the series for its depiction of women despite having numerous strong female roles, saying “these women have largely been trapped in bedrooms, dungeons, castles, and fighting pits this season.”
“She knows all too well that getting on the wrong side of the Dothraki is not what you want to be doing,” said Emilia, adding: “But on the same breath she’s kind of a Dothraki at heart because that’s where she learned her strength. Not just that she’s fireproof and gave birth to dragons, but her strength as a woman.”
Season 6 of Game of Thrones will be aired on Sky Atlantic from April 24