How could anyone but Emilia Clarke play the Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryen? Yet, before Game of Thrones became one of the best series in HBO's catalog (and in television in general), there was first a pilot episode, in which the heir to the Iron Throne was played by another actress. And it was an embarrassing nude scene that forced her to give up the role - the rest of the story, everyone knows it.
Daenerys Targaryen, key character of Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones is a fictional universe full of characters, and many of them have a crucial place in the plot: Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Sansa Stark, Cersei Lannister, Theon Greyjoy, Ramsay Bolton... But among all these heroes and villains created by George R.R. Martin, one figure stands out: Daenerys Targaryen, last heir to the Iron Throne, Mother of Dragons with gold and silver hair. Her beginnings give no hint of her glorious future. She is martyred by her brother Viserys, who offers her to Khal Drogo in exchange for her help against the usurper Robert Baratheon, she is raped by her new husband and then loses him when she falls in love. It's a complex and fascinating role for an actress, and while today it's impossible to imagine anyone other than Emilia Clarke as this Queen, another actress was initially considered by the showrunners. Tamzin Merchant, the other Daenerys we'll never see (due to this awkward scene)
The never-released pilot episode of the HBO series saw Tamzin Merchant (The Tudors, Carnival Row) step into the shoes of Khaleesi, and according to screenwriter Bryan Cogman, href="https://www.slashfilm.com/1675717/why-game-of-thrones-replaced-original-daenerys-actress-emilia-clarke/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">She was pretty good in the role. But the actress later told our colleagues at EW that a scene with Jason Momoa involving an erect horse got the better of her.
Filming that pilot was a big lesson. It made me realize that I had to listen to my instincts and go with them, because I tried to remove myself from that situation, and during the contract process, I removed myself. Some persuasive people convinced me to come back into the process. Then I found myself naked and scared in Morocco, riding a horse that was clearly much more excited to be there than I was.
Tamzin Merchant wasn't sold on the role itself, and according to HBO boss Michael Lombardo, she had no particular connection with Jason Momoa, who played her husband. And given Daenerys Targaryen's importance in the series, it was better not to cast an actress who wasn't a fan of the character...
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