Emilia Clarke reveals egg freezing at 35 amid health battles
Synopsis
Emilia Clarke has revealed she froze her eggs at 35 — a decision shaped by two brain haemorrhages and the loss of her father. The Game of Thrones star's candid interview is a rare, unfiltered account of grief, survival, and the quiet determination to still build the family she has always wanted.
Key Takeaways
Emilia Clarke , 39 , revealed she froze her eggs at age 35 in an interview with The Times .
The actress survived two brain haemorrhages and also lost her father in the same difficult period.
Clarke described years of emotional pain, saying she 'woke up one morning' feeling she had 'got through the worst of it.' She has previously stated she wants children, telling ELLE magazine in 2017 : 'Yes, I want babies.' Clarke grew up in Oxfordshire, England , and hopes any future children will have a similar countryside upbringing.
She currently stars in the new TV series Ponies .
Hollywood actress Emilia Clarke, best known for her role in Game of Thrones, has opened up about freezing her eggs at the age of 35, describing it as part of a broader effort to preserve her dream of motherhood after years of serious health challenges. Clarke, now 39, made the disclosure in an interview with The Times newspaper.
What Clarke Said
'You go through certain universal moments, like I was 35 when I froze my eggs. A lot of other women around that age are freezing their eggs,' Clarke told the publication. The candid admission came as she spoke about navigating a difficult chapter in her personal life, marked by two life-threatening brain haemorrhages and the subsequent death of her father.
Years of Pain and Recovery
Clarke did not hold back when describing the toll those years took on her. 'I did go through a number of years where I wanted to shut my front door and sit in my nest. I can't begin to describe how young I was, how naive I was when I started. I had no understanding of the industry. And then I had this life-threatening brain injury and I was so unwell and I kept thinking I was going to die. And then my dad died and that was bigger than the brain haemorrhages,' she said.
When asked whether she has found happiness now, Clarke was unflinching: 'I'm just going to be wildly honest, it's been years of me sitting with a lot of pain. Then I woke up one morning and realised I've got through the worst of it.'
Her Hopes for Motherhood
Clarke has previously spoken about her desire to have children, reportedly expressing that she is more drawn to the idea of starting a family than to marriage. In a 2017 interview with ELLE magazine, she said: 'Yes, I want babies. I don't know about marriage. That's probably quite a painfully millennial thing to say. But I do want to find a human that you'd want to create a family with.'
The actress, who grew up in the Oxfordshire countryside in England, has also expressed a wish for any future children to enjoy a similar rural upbringing. 'I grew up with ducks in the garden and a stream. We used to go mushroom picking in the fields. My first plays were done inside of trees. And if I manage to push out a few sproglets, I'd like them to have that experience as well,' she added.
Clarke's Current Work
Clarke currently stars in the new television series Ponies. The personal revelations come as she steps back into the public eye, suggesting a woman who has processed significant grief and is now speaking with notable openness about her life beyond the screen.
Point of View
Compounded grief, and an industry she entered wholly unprepared for. What mainstream coverage will reduce to a celebrity fertility headline is, on closer reading, a frank account of how serious illness and loss reshape a woman's relationship with her own future. The timing, as she promotes a new project, also signals a deliberate shift in how Clarke is choosing to present herself publicly — not as a survivor defined by Daenerys Targaryen, but as someone who has rebuilt on her own terms.
NationPress
13 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Emilia Clarke freeze her eggs?
Emilia Clarke froze her eggs at the age of 35 as a step toward preserving her dream of having children, a decision that came after she endured two brain haemorrhages and the death of her father. She has spoken openly about wanting to become a mother one day.
What health problems has Emilia Clarke faced?
Clarke suffered two life-threatening brain haemorrhages that left her seriously ill for an extended period. She has described feeling she was going to die during that time, and said the subsequent death of her father was an even greater blow than the brain injuries.
Does Emilia Clarke want to get married?
Clarke has indicated she is more focused on having children than on marriage. In a 2017 interview with ELLE magazine, she said she wanted babies but was uncertain about marriage, describing it as 'a painfully millennial thing to say.'
What is Emilia Clarke currently working on?
Clarke is currently starring in a new television series called Ponies. The interview in which she made her personal disclosures was given to The Times newspaper around the time of the show's promotion.
Where did Emilia Clarke grow up?
Emilia Clarke grew up in the Oxfordshire countryside in England. She has described a childhood involving ducks, streams, and mushroom picking in fields, and has said she would like any future children to have a similar rural upbringing.
