Emilia Clarke has revealed that she froze her eggs at the age of 35 following a life-threatening health battle.
The Game of Thrones star has opened up about her decision to preserve her fertility after suffering two brain aneurysms in her 20s, which resulted in two brain surgeries.
In a new interview with The Times, Emilia explained that she chose to freeze her eggs after experiencing the medical ordeals, as well as the devastating loss of her father, Peter, following a battle with cancer.
"You go through certain universal moments, like I was 35 when I froze my eggs," she said. "A lot of other women around that age are freezing their eggs."
The 39-year-old also reflected on how the experiences led her to withdraw from the world for a period of time.
"I did go through a number of years where I wanted to shut my front door and sit in my nest," she told the publication. "I can't begin to describe how young I was, how naïve I was when I started."
Emilia suffered her first aneurysm in 2011 shortly after finishing the first season of Game of Thrones, in which she portrayed Daenerys Targaryen. Two years later, she experienced another aneurysm.
Elsewhere in the interview, the actress acknowledged that her rise to fame coincided with her serious health struggles.
"I had no understanding of the industry," she recalled. "And then I had this life-threatening brain injury and I was so unwell and I kept thinking I was going to die."
The Me Before You star added, "And then my dad died and that was bigger than the brain haemorrhages."
Emilia has previously spoken about her concerns over how her health condition could affect any future children.
"I was born with a weakness in my arteries that's hereditary," she revealed during an appearance on the Dear Chelsea podcast in January. "If I were to have a baby, I'd be like, 'Get that baby in an MRI machine immediately so I can see if it has it.'"
