Emilia Clarke Just Debunked Those Game of Thrones Salary Rumors

Here we go again: another day, another wild rumour about how much money the Game of Thrones actors took home for all those years on dragon duty. This time, it’s Emilia Clarke (otherwise known as Khaleesi herself) stepping in to shut things down, because apparently, some people are convinced she was earning close to $300,000 per episode. Spoiler: she definitely wasn’t.

Let’s Set the Record Straight

Chatting to Variety, Clarke got stuck in to the old chestnut about Game of Thrones salaries. As you might expect, being one of the most recognisable faces on television has made her fairly comfortable—but that rumoured six-figure-per-episode number? Not even close, according to Emilia herself.

'We didn’t earn that much. Can you imagine? I’d have been driving a couple of Porsches!'

She didn’t mince her words—the big paydays floating around online are, in her own terms, 'wildly exaggerated.' So for anyone picturing Emilia Clarke zooming around in a fleet of sports cars, you’ll have to rein that in. Nice try, though.

The Fame Machine—And Its Side Effects

Clarke also got a bit philosophical about what it’s really like being at the centre of an international phenomenon. As she tells it, there’s a pretty simple equation when it comes to fame:

'The less you’re on TV, the less famous you are. It comes and it goes.'

She spent a good chunk of time trying to wrap her head around the madness of sudden worldwide recognition. Frankly, that sounds sensible—overnight megastardom can’t be the easiest thing to process.

Grateful, With No Regrets

In another recent chat, Clarke made it clear she’s more than grateful for her time in Westeros—even if, for a minute there, she fancied being known for something beyond dragons. Ultimately, she’s happy to embrace her place in telly history:

'I think I went through a phase of being like, oh, trying to want to be known for more than just Game of Thrones, but now I’m just like, it was phenomenal. I’ll probably always be that dragon girl. And maybe that’s okay.'

What’s Next For Emilia Clarke?

• Recently popped up in Ponies (2026) as Bea.
• Next starring in the TV crime drama Criminal alongside a pretty stacked cast: Charlie Hunnam, Luke Evans, Richard Jenkins, Michael Mondo, Adria Arjona, and John Hawkes.
• Soon to appear in a horror film called When Darkness Loves Us, directed by James Ashcroft. That one also features Marlon Williams, Victoria Pedretti, and Natascha McElhone, with a cinema release set for 2027.