Emilia Clarke has explained why she famously turned down the lead part in Fifty Shades of Grey – explaining she didn’t want to get “pigeonholed” for on-screen nudity.
The actor, who just wrapped up eight seasons as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, told The Hollywood Reporter that she believes the film’s director Sam Taylor-Johnson is a “genius” who had a “beautiful” vision for the adaptation of EL James’s bestseller.
“But the last time that I was naked on camera on [Game of Thrones] was a long time ago, and yet it is the only question that I ever get asked because I am a woman,” she added.
“And it’s annoying as hell and I’m sick and tired of it because I did it for the character – I didn’t do it so some guy could check out my tits, for God’s sake.
“So, that coming up, I was like, ‘I can’t.’ I did a minimal amount and I’m pigeonholed for life, so me saying yes to that, where the entire thing is about sensuality and sex and being naked and all of that stuff, I was just like, no way am I going to voluntarily walk into that situation and then never be able to look someone in the eye and be like, ‘No, you can’t keep asking me this question.’”
Clarke spoke to The Hollywood Reporter as part of a group interview with Patricia Arquette, Christine Baranski, Danai Gurira, Niecy Nash and Michelle Williams.
She will appear in the British romantic comedy Last Christmas in November this year.
