Just a few short years ago, unknown British actress Emilia Clarke had just two filming credits on her résumé: walk-on roles in a soap opera and a made-for-TV movie.
Now the "Mother of Dragons"reportedly earns north of $7 million per season in "Game of Thrones," the most watched show in HBO history. The cast is currently filming season six.
Since Esquire just named her the "Sexiest Women Alive," we're taking a look back at how Clarke rose to fame.
Born in the fall of 1986, Emilia Clarke grew up in the picturesque county of Buckinghamshire, in the south of England.
Source: Marie Claire
At boarding school, she coxed, or steered, the boys' eight-rower boat. That is, until she steered the team down the wrong tunnel and got them disqualified at a Henley regatta.
Source: The Guardian
A girlie-girl, she developed an early obsession with Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady." She would often say, "I swear on Chanel," when she wanted to be taken seriously.
Source: Harpers Bazaar
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