Warm, Playful, and STRONG – Interview With Emilia Clarke

When I announced on Twitter that I’d be meeting and interviewing Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones fans were going crazy. I had so many questions for her that in order to get them answered some of my blogger friends asked them on my behalf during the Han Solo Event. When she entered the room, it was lit up with her smile. She immediately acknowledged that in a few days it would be Mother’s Day.

“I sorta’ feel like there is cross over,” she says of both franchises. “My Game of Thrones fans are incredible and loyal and wonderful, but I do think that a lot of them {are into} Star Wars.”

Emilia Clarke is warm and sweet, but she sees a bit of herself in Qi’ra, as well:

Qi’ra is definitely a survivor. She does what she needs to do to keep being around. She’s lived a huge amount in the short time that we don’t see here. And I had to grow up really quickly.

I can relate to that, though it’s ironic because I believe that growing up so fast has actually contributed to staying childlike and playful. I can see that in Emilia Clarke as well. She describes her role in Game of Thrones as a “literal Baptism by Fire.”

And speaking of playful, many of my followers wanted to know whether she kept something from the set or pranked anyone. I thought these were strange questions, but my friends were excited to ask when I shared the questions with them.

I was given a piece of jewelry which was literally– I got it and it’s in my safe and it’s not left yet. So, yes, that was amazing.

The set of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY was not exactly perfect for actual pranks.

It was really difficult to do that on a Star Wars set… it was just a lot of crew and cast in a very small space.

Another one of my followers asked how she felt now that her dream of being a LEGO came true. She was giddy with that question and laughed so hard, obviously proud of being part of the Star Wars merchandise (see here!)

Yeah. It’s so good. It’s amazing. My Godson is like, “I’m sorry honey but you’re just gonna’ have all the merchandise.” I go, “Do you recognize her?” I’m very happy, yeah.

Emilia Clarke definitely wanted Qi’ra’s strength to show, but she’s tired of the label “strong woman.”

There were a lot of discussions that I had with the creators of the movie to make sure that there were certain things in place that I felt were important for her and for the Star Wars franchise to have a girl that  was strong. I get “you play a lot of strong women” questions a lot and we’re just women. You can take strong out of the equation do you know what I mean? It just is what we are, strength is within us as women. And that is it’d be wonderful if for the young girls who are watching me play these characters now just see that as a part of being a woman. As opposed to it being a choice of like, “Oh I’m gonna’ be a strong woman or I’m not gonna’ be a strong woman.”  You are, we all are. You have it in you anyway, so just go get it. Yeah.

I know what she means. As Marianne Williamson once said, “Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, but that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.” Instead of choosing whether we are strong or not, we must acknowledge and embrace our inner strength.

I asked Emilia Clarke if she has a  personal mantra that helps her when she’s going through a difficult time or when she needs to summon her inner strength.

I quite like KOKO, keep on keepin’ on!

 Take note, positive moms, we’ve got ourselves a new mantra!

I can also relate to her introduction to the Star Wars franchise because she became a fan through her brother’s influence:

I wasn’t around when it first came out. I wasn’t born then, but my brother was a huge fan. When I was little we would dress up for Halloween. I didn’t know what was goin’ on… but then when episode 7 came out and I went to go and watch that with him I became a fan because I suddenly realized what everyone must have felt in 1977 when it first came out. The enormity– like this is how a movie should be made. 

I agree. The Force Awakens is definitely an amazing film and such a huge piece in Han Solo’s story.

When asked about her brother’s reaction that she’s now part of the Star Wars legacy, she said:

 I think he maybe screamed louder than me.

I wish I could have asked her a follow-up question because my brother was so happy for me that I got to walk the red carpet at the SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY premiere, interview the cast and Director Ron Howard, and he was so impressed when he saw my Instagram pictures, especially my photo with Mark Hamill, but I can’t help but feel a bit sad that he’s the HUGE Star Wars fan and I couldn’t bring him along.

And speaking of interviewing Ron Howard, I’ll be sharing my interview with him soon, so stay tuned.

Emilia Clarke (Qi’ra) told us that working with Ron Howard was a dream come true:

He literally couldn’t have been better and just to held us all in the most beautiful way and allowed us to be- he made us all feel heard, which in a movie of this scale is so impressive.

In SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY, Qi’Ra joins Han Solo, our most beloved scoundrel. We learn how SOLO befriends Chewie and Lando, and how he gets to fly and own the Millennium Falcon.

Alden Ehrenreich is Han Solo. If you want to know what he thought of working with Emilia Clarke, go read my interview with him. Hint: he told us she would bring fresh baked goods for everyone on the set every Monday!

Emilia Clarke is surely humble and absolutely delightful. Her work is impressive and versatile. Game of Thrones, Terminator, Me Before You, and Broadway… She loves it all but it sure sounds like she has a soft spot in her heart for theater:

I think it’s really important to do both stage and screen as an Actor ‘cause when you do the stage it’s like going back to Drama School. You kind of relearn everything. My Dad was in the theater. He was the Sound Designer. So I grew up you know being able to go back stage and there’s magic in the theater and it’s magic being part of an ensemble that is unlike anything you could ever get when you’re filming on screen you know… You’re with your ensemble and you’re working together to make something different every night and to me it feels like actual magic. It’s the most beautiful thing ever, but it’s really exhausting and it sure don’t pay the rent. I think it’s important to keep going back and checking in with your craft in that way.

I really admire her long-learner mentality. She has a very fun personality and really surprises you with these deep answers! I think she’s a testament that being a true professional doesn’t mean you need to take yourself too seriously.

Like when someone asked her if she could be an Avenger, which one she would be, she thinks about it for a bit and then says:

I wanna’ say The Hulk. I’m like, “Young Mark watch out honey.”

I loved chatting with Emilia Clarke. I can see why she’s so loved and admired. I excitedly join the club! She’s a living example that you can be warm, playful, and strong and there’s no “either-or.”

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY opens in theaters everywhere on May 25th! You can follow the latest updates by visiting the official SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY site, following STAR WARS on Instagram, following STAR WARS on Twitter,  and liking STAR WARS on Facebook. Make sure you follow the conversation along with #HanSolo and #HanSoloEvent.

Interview photos by Louise Bishop of MomStart.com / Celebrity photos and film stills courtesy of Disney

Founder of the Positive MOM® and creator of the S.T.O.R.Y. System: a blueprint to craft and share powerful stories that will transform your results and help others do the same. Dr. Elayna Fernández is a single mom of 4, an award-winning Storyteller, Story Strategist, and Student of Pain. She’s a bestselling author, internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, and 5x TEDx speaker. She has spoken at the United Nations, received the President’s Volunteer Lifetime Achievement Award, and was selected as one of the Top Impactful Leaders and a Woman of Influence by SUCCESS Magazine. Connect with Elayna at thepositivemom.com/ef and follow @thepositivemom. To receive a gift from Elayna, click HERE.

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