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.
Emilia Clarke stuns in a black and white striped Rosie Assoulin dress paired with Miu Miu shoes and Delfina Delettrez jewelry at the Terminator Genisys Los Angeles premiere 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, Clarke’s first attempt at an action franchise. Other actresses considered for the role include Brie Larson and Margot Robbie.
Terminator Genisys premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on June 28, 2015, and Emilia 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 2017 to stop an AI system from 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 2018 interview with Vanity Fair reveals that she was relieved when the film underperformed, as it meant she wouldn’t be tied to any future sequels.
While she admired the script for its fresh take on the Terminator storyline, building on James Cameron’s original vision, the production was fraught with challenges, which Clarke candidly discussed during 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.
Clarke, the shortest actress to portray Sarah Connor, 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, Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron praised her for her portrayal of the action star. Cameron also liked the twist in the movie, in which John Connor became the film’s antagonist.
Clarke became a huge fan of the Terminator franchise when her brother forced her to watch it 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 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 smooth. 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, despite its own troubles, had jackets that read ‘At Least We’re Not On Terminator.’
Another action set 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 successfully introduced the Star Wars franchise.
Effortless Elegance at the Me Before You Promotion
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 romantic drama 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 with 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 dress to do the talking. She accessorized with only a pair of stud earrings, a ring, tortoiseshell-patterned 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 swept her wavy brunette locks into a chic low bun, with delicate wisps of hair framing her subtly made-up face. Emilia completed the look with a pair of elegant 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 find different versions of these sandals at Net-A-Porter and Farfetch.
Jimmy Choo Claudette Sandals, $795 – $895