Emilia Clarke Wasn't The Natural Choice For 'GoT'

There are billions of women in this world and Esquire has taken it upon themselves with the huge task of continually naming who they think is the sexiest woman alive every year. Since their pick for 2014 was Penelope Cruz, who I feel is a real goddess on Earth, I was more inclined to listen to their suggestion for 2015. This year's pick for Esquire 's Sexiest Woman Alive is Emilia Clarke, and as a fan of Game of Thrones and the Mother of Dragons, the title is apt for the actress who is humble, hard-working, and living out her dreams. Aside from looking, well, sexy on the magazine's cover, Clarke opened up to Esquire about how she earned the part that would change her life, and it wasn't exactly because of her looks.

It's pretty obvious why Clarke would be named one of the sexiest women alive. She is naturally beautiful and has gained a legion of fans around the globe as the platinum blonde badass Daenerys Targaryen. But as Esquire's article suggests, there is a "gorgeous balance" to Clarke: "Friendly and fierce. Kid sister and killer. Movie star and girl next door."

After graduating from the Drama Centre London, Clarke landed a few random parts: a role on long-running British daytime soap, Doctors, and a sci-fi film that she still hasn't watched. But during this time was when she became one of the luckiest women alive. While working three odd jobs and living with friends, her agent gave her the call. She shared with Esquire,

And then my agent calls me up and says, "Did you ever go up for Game of Thrones?" ... My agent told the casting director, "I know that the breakdown for this character is tall and willowy and blonde. I know she's short and round and brown, but I'd like you to see her."

I have watched a few Emilia Clarke interview videos and I can surmise that she is sweet and funny and the type of girl you could be BFFs with, so her landing the part had more to do with her bright personality than the fact that she was definitely not tall, super-thin, nor blonde. Of her audition she said, "I had two scenes which told me nothing and not very much time in which to read all those [George R. R. Martin] books... So I did what every good actor does and Wikipedia'd the living crap out of it." Ahh, my kind of girl.

She said the producers knew what they wanted, "Someone who could grow before your eyes in one season, who could gather strength and show vulnerability, they wanted the arc," and Clarke was obviously all of that. Soon after she landed the role and her subsequent Emmy nominations, the anonymous girl from Berkshire would be no more, but she was determined to take it all in stride. She admitted that the earlier sex scenes and nudity was difficult for her to handle, at 23 years old in her first major role. She explained, "Once, I had to take a little time out. I said I needed a cup of tea, had a bit of a cry, and was ready for the next scene."

Towards the end of the interview, she tells the writer that she won't let star treatment go to her head: "I'm trying everything I can not to be freaky."

To me, that's where Clarke proves to be the sexiest woman. She is confident, ambitious, humble, and in total control of herself.

Images: Esquire; Giphy