A CEO of an Australian television company insulted actress Emilia Clarke in front of Game of Thrones fans during a screening of House of the Dragon.
HuffPost reports that Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany was speaking about Game of Thrones during the screening when he made an unflattering comment about Clarke, who has starred as Daenerys Targaryen in all seven seasons of the hit HBO series. “I was like, ‘What is this show with the little chubby girl walking on fire?'” Delany reportedly said in front of a crowd of attendees. Delany’s testimony was probably made in relation to a scene in which Daenerys emerges from a roaring fire completely unharmed.
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Many listeners were understandably confused and upset by Delany’s comment. One attendee reportedly said, “It felt like he expected us to join in the laughs, but people in the room were obviously shocked by it.” Travis Johnson, a film critic who was also in attendance, said he had to ask his friend to clarify what he had heard because he was completely shocked by Delany’s attempt at a joke.
After backlash from fans, a Foxtel spokesperson issued a statement regarding Delany’s comments. “The goal was to convey that Game of Thrones 2011 was something very different for television and that Emilia Clarke went from relatively unknown to one of the most recognized and loved actresses in television and film,” the statement said. “On behalf of Mr. Delany, Foxtel Group apologizes if his comments were misunderstood and caused offense.”
Delany’s words seem even more insensitive considering Clarke suffered from two life-threatening brain aneurysms during her time on Game of Thrones. In July, Clarke said that despite the “excruciating pain” caused by the incidents, she was grateful to have survived. “[I]It’s remarkable that I’m able to speak, sometimes articulately, and live my life normally without any repercussions,” said the Secret Invasion star. “I’m in the really, really small minority of people who can survive this.”
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Daenerys’ connections to the House of Dragons
Although Clarke will no longer play Daenerys, the Targaryen family will play the main characters of HBO’s House of the Dragon. Ryan Condal, co-showrunner of the upcoming Game of Thrones prequel, recently revealed that the “connection to Daenerys Targaryen” was a key thematic element for him and the writers in developing the series.
House of the Dragon premieres August 21 on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: HuffPost