Game of Thrones star shares she’s missing ‘quite a bit’ of her brain after suffering two aneurysms

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke shared that she’s missing “quite a bit” of her brain following two aneurysms she experienced.

Clarke, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen in the popular HBO series, opened up about her medical struggles during an interview with BBC’s Sunday Morning.

Reflecting on her experience with brain aneurysms, Clarke shared,  “The amount of my brain that is no longer usable – it’s remarkable that I am able to speak, sometimes articulately, and live my life completely normally with absolutely no repercussions.”

“I am in the really, really, really small minority of people that can survive that.”

She further added, “There’s quite a bit missing, which always makes me laugh. Because strokes, basically, as soon as any part of your brain doesn’t get blood for a second, it’s gone.”

“And so the blood finds a different route to get around but then whatever bit it’s missing is therefore gone.”

Clarke’s first aneurysm occurred in February 2011, shortly after the first season of *Game of Thrones* premiered.

While exercising, she experienced an intense headache described as “shooting, stabbing, constricting pain,” which led to vomiting and immediate medical attention.

In a different interview with The Big Issue, Clarke shared that she worried about getting fired from the show due to her injury.

She said, “When you have a brain injury, because it alters your sense of self on such a dramatic level, all of the insecurities you have going into the workplace quadruple overnight.”

“The first fear we all had was: ‘Oh my God, am I going to get fired? Am I going to get fired because they think I’m not capable of completing the job?’”

She was diagnosed with a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH), a serious type of stroke caused by bleeding in the space surrounding the brain.

Emergency surgery was performed to address the ruptured aneurysm, and despite the severity of her condition, Clarke returned to work within weeks.

Two years later, during a routine follow-up scan, doctors discovered that a second aneurysm on the opposite side of her brain had doubled in size.

This prompted another surgery in 2013, which unfortunately resulted in complications and further bleeding.

Following her recovery, Clarke became involved in raising awareness about brain injuries and supporting those affected by similar conditions.

In 2019, she launched SameYou, a nonprofit organization focused on providing rehabilitation for young people recovering from brain injuries and strokes.

Through this organization, Clarke has shared her story to help inspire and support others facing similar medical challenges.