Emilia Clarke Defends Her ‘Game Of Thrones’ Nude Scenes, Says She Is ‘Really Annoyed’ By Criticism

Game of Thrones has long been criticized by some (including loyal fans) for its use of graphic sexual encounters to move the plot, even though those aspects are as much a part of the George R.R. Martin source material as any other aspect of the show. Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO series, is now stepping forward to discuss her graphic nude scenes. However, she’s not saying what fans might expect. She’s defending those sexually explicit scenes and putting critics in their place.

Emilia Clarke Speaks Out in Defense of Game of Thrones

Time reports that Emilia Clarke opened up about the criticism the cast has received over some of the more risque Game of Thrones scenes. The actress is clearly bothered by the amount of attention the HBO show’s graphic sex scenes have received in the media and by fans on social media. Specifically, Emilia refers to one unnamed critic who commented that adult websites would go down once the new Game of Thrones season was released.

“I’m like, The Handmaid’s Tale? I f***ing love that show, and I cried when it ended because I couldn’t handle not seeing it. That is all sex and nudity,” Clarke pointed out. “There are so many shows centered around this very true fact that people reproduce.”

Ms. Clarke pointed out that human sexuality is about more than reproduction, adding that it’s more shameful to ignore that fact than it is to recognize a basic, universal truth.

“People f*** for pleasure — it’s part of life,” said the Game of Thrones actress.

Emilia Clarke Credits Game of Thrones for Helping Her Indulge Her Passion for Art

For Emilia, her success on Game of Thrones has enabled her to pursue a personal passion, as she revealed in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar. The actress has used her financial windfall to pursue her love of artwork. She says she started to buy prints as soon as she started earning enough money to indulge her hobby. Her favorite item is a Matisse that is one of just 1,002 prints and is, by far, her costliest piece to date.

Clarke, who plays a woman of royal blood on Game of Thrones, adds that she prefers pieces by female artists. Alternatively, Emilia likes paintings inspired by women. She hopes to expand her collection, though she sheepishly admits works by big-name artists are still too expensive for her budget.

During her hiatus from Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke has been working on Above Suspicion, the new feature length thriller from director Phillip Noyce (Salt, The Bone Collector). The film casts Clarke alongside Thora Birch and Jack Huston.

Season 8 of Game of Thrones is scheduled for a 2018 release on HBO.

[Featured Image by John Phillips/Getty Images]