THRONES STAR HAPPY TO SMILE
‘I’ve never wanted a role so much,’ Emilia Clarke tells Bob Thompson
Emilia Clarke maintains a grim earnestness as Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO series Game of Thrones.
So the British actress feared it would be difficult to win the role in Me Before You of cheery working-class Louisa, hired to care for Will (Sam Claflin), a wealthy quadriplegic.
Luckily, Clarke, 29, had a key ally — Jojo Moyes — who wrote the screenplay and the international bestselling novel the movie is based on.
“They said, ‘Could we have your top three actresses?’ Moyes says. “And I said, ‘I only have one — Emilia.’ ” Clarke discusses her role:
Q Were you pleased to get the part?
A I’ve never wanted a role so much. I keep saying how much Louisa is like me. Q It’s a weepy story, but the movie avoids sentimentality. A I think the fact that we didn’t drift into sentimentality was helped by the comedy. As Brits, we don’t show a lot of emotion but we do have our black humour.
Q Did director Thea Sharrock assist in finding that right tone?
A Yes. Thea was very helpful in fine-tuning that. The only note that I got from her was innocence. I had to really tap into Louisa’s innocence.
Q Did you bond easily with Claflin?
A We have known each other for six years as, you know, part of the up-and-comers in Britain. So we’ve had six years of near-misses working together, but we had that kind of familiarity before we started (Me Before You).
Q How is he to work with?
A You would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated actor. We are also kindred spirits because we have a need to make sure everybody has a good time on set.
Q The support cast is impressive. Is that a positive?
A Being surrounded by great actors makes you a better actor. How could you not feel supported and encouraged to do better? I always felt that every minute. Q The racetrack sequence has some silly moments. Did you
select those binoculars?
A We had fun with that. They gave me a range of binoculars to choose from and I said just give me the biggest ones you have.
Q The wheelchair-in-the-mud scene looked harrowing. Was it?
A It was a little crazy. It was struck for real. Now I have a phrase in life when something’s really difficult. I say, ‘It’s like trying to get a wheelchair out of mud.’
Q Was it all worth the extra effort?
A There is stuff you do, and go, ‘Meh.’ But I am so proud of Me Before You.