Emilia Clarke Reacts to Dothraki Language Criticism

Emilia Clarke, best known for her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, recently revealed she was left feeling 'really pissed' after reading comments about her performance in the show's fictional language.

The actress discovered that David J. Peterson, the linguist hired by HBO to develop Dothraki, had described her pronunciation as lacking fluency. What appeared to be criticism was actually intended as praise for authentic character work.

The situation came to light during Clarke's appearance on Late Night With Seth Myers, where she opened up about the emotional impact of reading the assessment years after the show's conclusion.

During her Monday appearance on the popular talk show, Clarke addressed the comments that had bothered her for years. She explained the extensive preparation she undertook to master the constructed language.

I put so much energy into learning Dothraki. But the creator of the language, I read in an article, said I sucked at Dothraki. I was like, 'What, bro?!' It's not real! It's not a real language! I can't suck at it because me saying it on the TV, that's how it goes... Honestly, I was so hurt. And then really pissed.

The Rolling Stone interview from 2017 that Clarke referenced contained Peterson's actual assessment. He had noted that hearing Clarke speak Dothraki was 'funny' because her character was not supposed to be fluent.

Peterson's full quote read: 'It really sounds... not fluent. It's great, for her character, she understands and she can speak. She just doesn't sound quite right.' This technical observation about authenticity was interpreted by Clarke as a critique of her acting abilities.

After seeing Clarke's comments on Late Night With Seth Myers, Peterson quickly moved to clarify his position through a statement to Entertainment Weekly. He emphasized that his original comments were never intended as criticism.

I think Emilia may have misunderstood what I said, because I've never criticized her Dothraki. Why would I? Her character was never supposed to speak it like a first language, so she never had to be good at it.

Peterson drew a compelling comparison to illustrate his point, suggesting that criticizing Clarke's Dothraki would be akin to judging an actor for accurately portraying a specific limitation.

Criticizing any imperfections in her Dothraki performance would be like criticizing Colin Firth for stuttering in The King's Speech. It would be entirely missing the point.

The linguist revealed that the production team had actually intentionally designed her lines to reflect the character's linguistic journey. Grammatical and punctuation errors were deliberately included in the MP3 recordings provided to Clarke to help her portray a non-native speaker authentically.

While Dothraki became a source of tension, Clarke's mastery of High Valyrian earned high praise from the same expert. In a 2013 blog post, Peterson assessed her performance with the second fictional language she had to learn.

The linguist wrote at the time: 'I was delighted by Emilia Clarke's performance. She really does speak High Valyrian like a natural. She missed a word or two here and there, but such will happen. Overall, I'm extraordinarily pleased.'

This positive assessment highlights the different linguistic requirements for each language in the show's universe. While Daenerys was a second-language speaker of Dothraki, she eventually became a native-level speaker of High Valyrian.

The contrast between the two assessments demonstrates how character authenticity sometimes required imperfection in one language while perfection was appropriate in another. Clarke's ability to navigate both requirements showcased her dedication to the role.

Following nearly a decade spent in the world of Game of Thrones, Clarke has indicated she is ready to move on from the fantasy genre. During her recent talk show appearance, she made her position clear regarding any potential return to dragon-riding.

You're highly unlikely to see me get on a dragon, or even in the same frame as a dragon, ever again.

This statement signals a definitive career transition for the actress, who has spent her post-Thrones years exploring diverse roles in both film and theater. The comment suggests she is eager to distance herself from the iconic character that defined her early career.

For Clarke, the journey through Westeros appears to be firmly in the past, even as discussions about her performance continue to generate headlines years after the series finale.

The misunderstanding between Emilia Clarke and David J. Peterson reveals the complex nature of creating authentic fantasy worlds. What one person views as technical accuracy, another may interpret as personal criticism.

Ultimately, Peterson's comments were intended as high praise for the show's commitment to realism. By making Daenerys sound like a non-native speaker of Dothraki, the production team achieved a level of authenticity that made the fictional world feel more real to audiences.

Clarke's reaction humanizes the often-overlooked emotional investment actors make in their roles. Learning a constructed language is a significant undertaking, and hearing it described as 'not fluent'—even for valid creative reasons—stung the dedicated performer.

The situation serves as a reminder that context matters in entertainment journalism. Technical observations about character authenticity can easily be misconstrued as critiques of performance when separated from their original creative framework.