Emilia Clarke has spoken out about the life-threatening health issues that plagued her during the filming of earlier seasons of Game of Thrones.
Just after filming the first series of the show, she suffered a brain aneurysm during a gym session. In a recent interview with the Mirror, Clarke explained: "I reached the toilet, sank to my knees and proceeded to be violently, voluminously ill.
"Meanwhile, the pain - shooting, stabbing, constricting pain - was getting worse. At some level, I knew what was happening - my brain was damaged."
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Doctors had to perform surgery on her brain and she even lost her memory at one stage.
She continued: "In my worst moments, I wanted to pull the plug.
"I asked the medical staff to let me die."
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That was back in 2010. Clarke managed to make a recovery and get back to filming her role as Daenerys Targaryen, but then in 2013 disaster struck for a second time.
Clarke suffered a second aneurysm. This time they had to perform surgery with her skull opened to sort it out.
"I looked as though I had been through a war more gruesome than any Daenerys experienced," she added.
Despite all that, she made another miraculous recovery and is at full capacity again. Her acting career, which could have been jeopardised, has gone from strength to strength.
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Despite that, she takes nothing for granted.
Clarke said: "It's been a trip. Thank you for the life I never dreamed I'd be able to live and the family I'll never stop missing."
As for the new and final series of Game of Thrones, like everyone, she remains tight-lipped. All that we know is that we aren't yet allowed to know anything.
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And that's OK, I guess.
The 32-year-old explained: "Oh my goodness, it really is the most heart-breaking thing to be filming the last of everything.
"I became an emotional wreck.
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"They were like, 'Emilia, it's only a shot of your hand, it's OK. Just get over it now. We need to get some work done.' And I was like, 'But it's the last time!' Everything was making me very sad."
As for the ending - as you can imagine - it won't be what we expect.
"No, it [the ending] completely surprised me.
"I really think everyone is going to be surprised, not just at the ending itself, but by everything that happens before."
Well, we'll find out soon enough. In fact, by next Monday we'll have seen the first episode.
What do you reckon is going to happen? Join us over at Game of Thrones: Westeros Posting on Facebook to let us know...
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