Emilia Clarke on 'not' watching 'House of the Dragon'

Shocking enough! Isn't it? Emilia Clarke is not one of the tens of millions of viewers of HBO's 'House of the Dragon.' Why? She told Variety's Matt Donnelly at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance, "I just can't do it. It's so weird. It's so strange."

According to Variety, a US-based news outlet, her breakthrough performance as Daenerys Targaryen on HBO's 'Game of Thrones,' in which she appeared for all eight seasons, helped Clarke become a household figure. The prequel series "House of the Dragon" traces Daenerys' ancestors, which for Clarke made the show far too personal.

"No! Can you [forgive me]?" Clarke said when asked about watching "House of the Dragon." "It's too weird. I'm so happy it's happening. I'm over the moon about all the awards... I just can't do it. It's so weird. It's so strange. It's kind of like someone saying, 'You want to go to this school reunion that's not your year? Want to go to that school reunion?' That's how it feels. I'm avoiding it."

To promote the global premiere of her festival entry, 'The Pod Generation,' Clarke joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance. As a couple in the not-too-distant future, Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor attempt to conceive a child using a removable artificial womb. Topics like abortion, which Clarke spoke passionately about with Variety, are addressed in the movie.

"There's so much politics around being a mother, having a child, not having a child... my God!" Clarke said. "How dare people have the audacity to have that kind of an opinion on someone's life? No one has any access to how anyone feels... to try and put arguments on a person when you don't know them or their situation... there are bigger problems we should be dealing with."

Clarke received nominations for three Critics' Choice Awards and four Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Daenerys. In a similar vein, "House of the Dragon" has emerged as a frontrunner for accolades, most recently receiving a Golden Globe nomination for best drama. The premiere of the prequel series attracted the biggest audience in HBO history with 9.9 million people on the first night.