[News] Games of Thrones star Emilia Clarke reveals surgery after two aneurysms left sections of her brain unusable

Emilia Clarke disclosed yesterday that she ordinarily should not be able to speak after two aneurysms left sections of her brain “no longer usable”.

The actress, 35, said she was in the “really small minority” of people who have survived and been left with “no repercussions”.

Her first aneurysm burst in 2011 after she had filmed the first series of Game Of Thrones and caused a stroke while the second aneurysm needed surgery in 2013 after scans showed it had doubled in size.

Miss Clarke, who is performing in The Seagull in her West End debut, told Sophie Raworth on BBC1’s Sunday Morning, July 17: “You gain a lot of perspective. The amount of my brain that is no longer usable… There’s quite a bit missing which always makes me laugh.”

Her life-saving treatment has left her with titanium in place of sections of her skull and scarring.

The actress first suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage after the aneurysm – a weak area in a blood vessel – on the surface of the brain burst.

But Miss Clarke said she has been left unaffected, adding: “I can do a two and a half hour play every single night and not forget a line. I always had a good memory because it is the only skill as an actor… so your memory is obviously incredibly important and I consistently tested that.”

The actress, who played “Mother of Dragons” Daenerys Targaryen in the hit Sky Atlantic series, first opened up about the trauma of her ordeal in 2019.

Miss Clarke founded the charity SameYou to help those recovering from brain injuries and stroke.