GoT 's Nathalie Emmanuel Says Emilia Clarke Defended Her from On-Set Remark About 'Revealing' Costume
Game of Thrones star Nathalie Emmanuel is recalling an uncomfortable on-set interaction that was halted by costar Emilia Clarke.
In a new interview with British Vogue, the actress, 31, reflected on her experiences making the popular HBO fantasy epic, on which she portrayed Missandei. Emmanuel remembered one instance when Clarke, 33, stepped in to squash an unnamed male extra who commented on her "revealing" costume.
"In my first season, my costume was pretty revealing and there was an incident with a supporting actor who made a comment about it on set," she said. "I mean, typical — and Emilia straightaway had my back. It got handled."
Emmanuel, who joined the Game of Thrones cast in its third season in 2013, said she instantly connected with Clarke on the "male-dominated set."
"Emilia and I got on like a house on fire from the beginning," she said. "When I joined the cast, she had already been shooting Game of Thrones for a few years, and she was definitely ready to have some female energy around her. She and I always looked out for each other."
Emmanuel added, "If you’re the only girls on a male-dominated set, it bonds you in a certain way."
A spokesperson for HBO did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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Jesse Grant/Getty Images Emilia Clarke and Nathalie Emmanuel in September 2018
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In the series, Emmanuel — who currently stars on the Quibi series Die Hart, which launched on Monday — often shared scenes with Clarke, playing interpreter and advisor to Clarke's character, Daenerys Targaryen. Back in July 2019, Emmanuel gushed to PEOPLE about what she admires about Clarke.
“Emilia, as a friend and colleague, is just such a joy,” said Emmanuel at the time. “I really have thoroughly loved working with her. I loved learning from her. And we just check in with each other every so often.”
She added, "She’s such a beast. As a woman, she really picks herself up and keeps going. ... She’s really inspiring, I’m so proud of her."
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Nathalie Emmanuel Calls 'Game of Thrones' one of the 'Greatest Experiences' of Her Life
Emmanuel Talks Her New Show 'Four Weddings and a Funeral.'
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The Four Weddings and Funeral star also told British Vogue that her character's shocking death on Game of Thrones — and fans rallying outcry about it — stood out to her.
"It definitely caused me to reflect a lot more — about race and diversity more generally," she said. "At the end of the day, if there’s ever a show on the level of Game of Thrones again, representation has to be part of the conversation from the beginning. That way, there’s no single person who has to represent every other person of color."
"It’s a conversation I used to have a lot with Jacob [Anderson], who played Grey Worm, the only other major non-white character in the series," she continued. "We were always really conscious of how much our being part of Game of Thrones mattered to people. It made us really protective of Missandei and Grey Worm."
