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- Emilia Clarke, a British actress known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO series Game of Thrones, experienced multiple life-threatening brain aneurysms during her career.
- Following the filming of the first season of Game of Thrones in 2011, Emilia Clarke suffered a brain aneurysm.
- A brain aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain.
Emilia Clarke’s Brain Aneurysms
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Emilia Clarke, a British actress known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO series Game of Thrones, experienced multiple life-threatening brain aneurysms during her career.
First Aneurysm and Initial Treatment (2011)
Following the filming of the first season of Game of Thrones in 2011, Emilia Clarke suffered a brain aneurysm. The Independent reports she initially dismissed the severe headaches as stress-related, but they were later diagnosed as a bleeding aneurysm.
A brain aneurysm is a bulge in a blood vessel in the brain. If an aneurysm ruptures, it causes bleeding into the brain, which can lead to stroke, permanent neurological damage, or death. Clarke underwent a minimally invasive endovascular coiling procedure to repair the aneurysm. The Mayo Clinic explains that coiling involves inserting a catheter into an artery and guiding it to the aneurysm, where tiny coils are released to block blood flow to the bulge.
She spent a month in the hospital recovering from the initial surgery.
Second Aneurysm and Subsequent Surgeries (2013 & 2015)
In 2013, a routine brain scan revealed that another aneurysm had developed and had doubled in size, requiring a second surgery. E! Online details Clarke’s account of this experience,noting the initial surgery failed and caused a massive bleed.
Clarke then required a more invasive craniotomy – accessing the brain directly through the skull – to address the bleeding and repair the aneurysm. Johns Hopkins Medicine defines a craniotomy as a surgical procedure to remove a portion of the skull to access the brain.
Following the second surgery, Clarke experienced further complications and underwent a third surgery in 2015 to address remaining issues. The Independent reports that she struggled with anxiety and aphasia following these procedures.
Current health Status (as of January 23, 2026)
Emilia Clarke has stated she is now “at a hundred per cent” and has recovered from the effects of the aneurysms. The Independent reported this in March 2019, and there have been no subsequent reports of health complications as of January 23, 2026. She has become an advocate for brain injury awareness and has established the SameYou charity to support individuals recovering from brain injuries. SameYou provides support and rehabilitation services for people recovering from brain injuries and neurological conditions.