The Rule Emilia Clarke’s Dad Swore By—And How It Secretly Fueled Her Game of Thrones Success

Before she became the fierce and fire-breathing Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke was just a girl growing up in Oxfordshire, England, learning life’s most enduring lessons from two very grounded parents. Her father, Peter Clarke, a theatre sound engineer, and her mother, Jennifer Clarke, a successful businesswoman, instilled in her values that would one day carry her through Hollywood’s toughest battles—and even a few of her own.

Emilia credits her father for igniting her passion for storytelling. One of her earliest and most vivid memories is being taken to a production of Show Boat as a child, a moment that left her spellbound and dreaming of the stage. Her father’s work behind the scenes exposed her to the magic of theatre, but it was his wisdom that stuck with her. “Never trust anyone whose television is bigger than their bookshelf,” he once told her—a quote that Clarke has repeated in interviews, reflecting his prioritization of intellect and curiosity over shallow entertainment. It’s no coincidence that Clarke’s public persona reflects a thoughtful, grounded, and eloquent presence.

Her mother’s influence was no less powerful. As a woman who climbed the corporate ladder, Jennifer Clarke modeled ambition, discipline, and resilience. Emilia often speaks of her mother’s remarkable ability to lead with both authority and compassion, a trait she later mirrored when portraying one of television’s most complex female leaders. It’s easy to draw a line between her mother’s career success and Emilia’s own determined rise in the competitive world of acting.

Beyond career inspiration, both parents offered emotional resilience. When Emilia suffered two life-threatening brain aneurysms at the height of her fame, the values of perseverance, humility, and quiet strength—lessons she absorbed from her family—became her anchors. Their unwavering support and the grounding effect of her upbringing helped her confront the trauma with grace and turn it into advocacy, founding the charity SameYou to support brain injury recovery.

In interviews, Clarke has said her parents supported her acting dream while still preparing her for the reality of rejection. They celebrated her wins but reminded her not to expect constant success. That practical optimism—dream big, but keep your feet on the ground—has come to define both her public and private life.

Emilia Clarke’s journey from the daughter of a backstage tech and a business executive to a global icon wasn’t fueled by dragons or destiny. It was built on love, wisdom, and the kind of quiet strength passed down from parent to child—the kind that reminds you who you are, no matter how high you fly.