The TV fantasy series Game of Thrones proved to be a huge audience favorite that had seemingly endless durability. It made a big star of Emilia Clarke, who played the dragon queen herself, Daenerys Targaryen. Her acting ability earned four Emmy nominations plus a host of other prestigious accolades.
Fans do ponder her personal life, especially who she may be spending romantic time with these days. Does Emilia Clarke have a new high-profile boyfriend or perhaps a husband?
Clarke has been previously linked with some famous men. We looked into what she’s been up to in her off-hours. Here’s what we found.
She Had A Short-Lived Relationship With Seth MacFarlane
For a while, Clarke was the girlfriend of Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame. They reportedly began seeing each other in 2012 and the relationship lasted about six months before they threw in the towel and ended it.
E! News quoted an anonymous source who explained that because Clarke’s and MacFarlane’s crowded work schedules and projects often kept them far away from each other, maintaining their bond long distance just was too difficult. The source added that their parting was amicable.
Being miles apart may have been the primary reason that Clarke and MacFarlane split, but there were other problems, too, according to Clarke. She said that she found it unsettling to have people walking up to her, and without being asked to do so, offering pointers about her dating life.
She candidly shared her thoughts on this in a 2016 interview with Glamour: “…[Y}ou have strangers giving you love-life advice like, ‘I’m a big fan of the show, and I’m not sure what you’re doing with that guy,’ which I didn’t react well to. That happened in New York when Seth and I were together. This guy started to give me advice: ‘Can I get a selfie? And by the way…’ Unh-unh, bro.”
Clarke And Cory Michael Smith Enjoyed A Fling In 2014
Clarke was seeing another actor, Cory Michael Smith, for a brief time in 2014. With his chiseled good looks and acting talent, it’s easy to see what may have attracted Clarke to the young performer.
The two were both in the play Breakfast at Tiffany’s based on Truman Capote’s classic novella on Broadway; the production was actually Smith’s debut on New York’s fabled Great White Way.
Clarke played Holly Golightly, the role made famous by a ravishing, Givenchy-clad Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 film version. Smith was cast as Fred, the man who wants to woo her.
The pair apparently pursued their relationship when they weren’t on stage. Page Six reported in 2014 that they “looked close” when they attended Vanity Fair’s annual Oscars bash. The outlet noted that onlookers reportedly saw them slow dancing and holding hands at the gala.
Despite their PDA, they broke it off after a few months.
She Dated Charlie McDowell In 2018 And 2019
Clarke later paired up with screenwriter and director Charlie McDowell, the son of actors Malcolm McDowell and Mary Steenburgen and the stepson of Ted Danson.
Fueling the chatter about their relationship was a photo she posted on Instagram in October 2018 supposedly showing their shadow silhouettes locked in a kiss against a sandy backdrop. Clarke’s caption read, “Well that was a birthday I won’t be forgetting for a while.” It was her 32nd birthday.
McDowell posted the identical photo on his own Instagram. He wrote, “Happy birthday, E” with a heart emoji.
Those matching snaps seemed to be a flat-out giveaway indicating that they were a romantic twosome.
Another Instagram post also seemed to be an indirect boyfriend reveal when Clarke gave McDowell a photo credit on a pic of her in an Instagram post in December 2018.
Whatever the nature of their relationship was, however, it did not last long. McDowell unfollowed Clarke on IG by March 2019. A few months later, he was courting Lily Collins. They got married on September 4, 2021.
No, Emilia Clarke And Jason Momoa Have Never Dated
The talk about Clarke’s actual boyfriends has gone on for a while, but there have also been rumors about people she has not dated. Jason Momoa is one of them.
Momoa, who was on Game of Thrones as Khal Drago, created red-hot sparks with Clarke, his on-screen spouse. She said their first real-life meeting was kind of unforgettable in a comical way.
It took place in a hotel lobby in Belfast, as she shared with Rolling Stone. “I walked in,” Clarke recalled, “and from the other side of this enormous lobby I hear [someone yell] ‘Wifey!’ And this huge Hawaiian man comes bounding over to me and genuinely gets me in a rugby tackle to the floor.”
However, Clarke’s and Momoa’s relationship is good-natured, sweet, and platonic. He was evidently Clarke’s buddy, never her beau. The snaps and captions that the two posted of each other on social media were all in fun and friendship.
Momoa was actually married to Lisa Bonet, formerly of The Cosby Show, until they announced their split in 2022.
Emilia Clarke is a gifted young actress with a devoted following. She seems to be lightheartedly enjoying herself with various boyfriends these days. We’ll be on the lookout in case she decides to make a special someone her one and only for keeps.