Emilia Clarke, who we all know and love as the Mother of Dragons on HBO’s Game of Thrones series, swapped dragons for guns when she starred as Mother of the Future, Sarah Connor, in the 2015 American science fiction action film Terminator Genisys.
Actress Emilia Clarke in a black and white stripe a Rosie Assoulin dress, Miu Miu shoes, and Delfina Delettrez jewelry at the Los Angeles Premiere of “Terminator Genisys” at Dolby Theatre on June 28, 2015, in Hollywood, California (Credit: Tony DiMaio / Startraksphoto)
The then 28-year-old starred as a young Sarah Connor in the Terminator sequel, which was Clarke’s first attempt at an action franchise. Other actresses who were considered for the role include Brie Larson and Margot Robbie.
Terminator Genisys premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on June 28, 2015, and Emila Clarke celebrated her 29th birthday on October 23, 2015. The movie was filmed from April 21, 2014, to August 6, 2014, when she was 27.
Terminator Genisys Flopped at the Box Office
Terminator Genisys sees Kyle sent back to 1984 to protect his mother, Sarah, from being killed. As a result, the timeline is altered, and Kyle asks his mother to travel to the future year 2017 to stop an AI system wanting to kill mankind.
The film severely underperformed at the box office, earning $89.76 million domestically, which was later boosted by $350.84 million overseas.
Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor in the 2015 American science fiction action film Terminator Genisys (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
Clarke’s interview with Vanity Fair in 2018 reveals that the star was relieved by the film’s failure because she would not have to return for any sequels.
She loved the script for the movie because it was based on what James Cameron had created with his Terminator movies, all with a new backstory with a new spin on characters. However, the film was plagued with production issues which Clarke commented on in the interview.
Clarke as the Iconic Sarah Connor
Clarke inherited the role of Mother of the Future from fellow Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey who starred in the 2008-2009 Fox TV series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Linda Hamilton as the original Sarah Connor in the first two Terminator films.
The shortest actress to portray Sarah Connor, Clarke has said that Sarah Connor is the most iconic female action figure ever, but she felt she was maybe too naive to accept the role so early on in her career.
Linda Carroll Hamilton played Sarah Connor in the Terminator film series (Credit: Orion Pictures)
Although she didn’t hold her performance in high esteem, she was praised by both Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron for her portrayal of the action star. Cameron also liked the twist in the movie where John Connor became the film’s antagonist.
Clarke became a huge fan of the franchise when her brother forced her to watch the Terminator franchise when she was 7 or 8 years old. The star took special weapons training to play the role of the more self-reliant and badass version of Sarah Connor.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke in head-to-toe Balenciaga, and Jai Courtney at the European premiere of the film ‘Terminator Genisys’ in Berlin, Germany, 21 June 2015 (Credit: James Coldrey / Startraksphoto)
“Naked in a harness was fun – doing stunts, that was good,” Emilia said about doing nude scenes for the movie. “That was interesting.”
Clarke said working with acting legend Arnold Schwarzenegger was “quite surreal.” He thought her training definitely paid off, and she handled herself well during the fight scenes.
The Production Was Plagued With Issues
Clarke admitted during the Vanity Fair interview that production on the film wasn’t a smooth one. Making the movie took a huge toll on director Alan Taylor, who also directed several episodes of the HBO series Game of Thrones.
“He was not the director I remember,” Clarke revealed about the production. “He didn’t have a good time. No one had a good time.”
Actress Emilia Clarke in a Calvin Klein Collection dress for a photo call for her film Terminator: Genisys held at the Publicis Champs Elysees on June 19, 2015, in Paris, France (Credit: INFphoto)
The star revealed that stories of an unhappy and frustrating production spread in certain circles, particularly to the neighboring production of the 2015 American superhero film Fantastic Four.
The stories were so bad that the neighboring Fantastic Four production, which had its share of troubles, had jackets that read “At Least We’re Not On Terminator.”
Another action set that Clarke worked on that saw its fair share of drama was Solo: A Star Wars Story. Director swaps and acting coach rumors plagued the behind-the-scenes, but Clarke’s film proved to be a successful introduction to the Star Wars franchise.
Emilia Clarke sweeps her hair back into a low bun for her “Me Before You” promotional events at the BBC Radio 1 studios in London on May 26, 2016 (Credit: Tony Oudot / WENN)
In May 2016, Emilia Clarke was busy promoting the 2016 romantic drama film Me Before You, which was released in the United Kingdom on June 3, 2016.
After showcasing a stunning look at the UK premiere of the romantic drama film, the then-29-year-old actress continued her winning style streak the next day as she was spotted at the BBC Radio 1 studios.
She wowed in a dramatic black lace Valentino dress, which had summery sunflower bead embellishments, long sleeves, and a midi-length hemline.
Emilia Clarke wears a dramatic black lace Valentino dress while promoting her upcoming movie “Me Before You” (Credit: Tony Oudot / WENN)
The “Game of Thrones” star kept the rest of her look simple, allowing her frock to do the talking.
She accessorized with only a pair of stud earrings, a ring, a pair of tortoise sunglasses, and minimalist Jimmy Choo heels.
Emilia Clarke wears a beaded lace Valentino dress and dark sunglasses while heading to the BBC Radio 1 studios in London (Credit: Tony Oudot / WENN)
She pulled her wavy brunette tresses back into a low bun, with little wisps of hair framing her softly made-up face.
Emilia teetered in a pair of navy suede Jimmy Choo Claudette sandals.
Emilia Clarke’s feet in navy suede Jimmy Choo sandals (Credit: Tony Oudot / WENN)
These classic shoes feature thin straps over the toes, adjustable ankle-wrap straps, and about four-inch heels.
You can check out these sandals in different versions at Net-A-Porter and Farfetch.
Jimmy Choo Claudette Sandals, $795 – $895
