Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is still working through how she feels about the show’s controversial finale. The episode created a storm of negative reactions from fans, and even author George R.R. Martin has tried to separate himself from the fallout. For Clarke, the actress admitted that she is still heartbroken over how the beloved fantasy drama ended in season 8 — though for completely different reasons.

‘Game of Thrones’ star Emilia Clarke | Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Clarke opens up about ‘Game of Thrones’ finale

Clarke, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen on the show, revealed that she did not really pay attention to how fans reacted in the days following the Game of Thrones finale.

After starring on the series for eight seasons, Clarke was too focused on her own emotions to worry about what fans were saying. But once the dust settled, she felt sad for all the criticism that was placed on executive producers David Benioff and Dan Weiss.

“I was too busy focusing on my own reactions to really pay too much attention, if any at all,” Clarke shared. “The only thing I felt truthfully sad about was that [executive producers] David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] are my really good friends, and so it’s for them that I feel heartbreak, because it’s theirs.”

According to Indie Wire, Clarke added that she understands why Game of Thrones fans were so disappointed by the finale and that, with art, you will always get people who have strong opinions one way or the other.

She also explained how it “sucks” that so many fans disliked the way the show ended, but she also believes it is impossible to satisfy everyone — no matter how they wrapped things up.

Clarke also admitted that she is ready to move on with her acting career and is looking forward to working on projects that are completely different from Game of Thrones.

For now, Clarke is gearing up for her upcoming movie, Last Christmas, which also stars Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians). The film was directed by Paul Feig and is set to open in theaters on November 8th.

How much does Clarke know about the negative reactions?

While Clarke feels for Benioff and Weiss, she also revealed that she has not Googled herself to see what Game of Thrones fans thought of her character’s demise.

In the finale, fans watched as Daenerys went mad after completely destroying King’s Landing and killing thousands of innocent people. Jon Snow (Kit Harington) put a stop to her rage by killing her in front of the Iron Throne.

A lot of fans disliked how Daenerys’ story ended, especially after rooting for her over the past seven seasons.

But for Clarke, the actress revealed that she says far away from online forums and has zero interest in what people say about her character, good or bad.

Considering all of the backlash Game of Thrones got in its final season, this is probably a wise decision on her part.

Although the show was blasted by fans, the Television Academy still nominated it for several Emmys.

In fact, Peter Dinklage took home another Emmy for his part as Tyrion Lannister, while several of his co-stars received Emmy nominations, including Clarke, Sophie Turner, Lena Headey, Harington, Alfie Allen, Maisie Williams, Carice van Houten, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and Gwendoline Christie.

Game of Thrones also won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, cementing its place as one of the most awarded dramas of all time.

Clarke opens up about her new project

While fans are still expressing their frustration, Clarke has moved on to a completely different project.

In Last Christmas, Clarke plays a character named Kate who is facing issues stemming from a life-threatening illness she recently overcame.

In a recent interview, Clarke opened up about the new part and revealed that it was a little eerie playing a character who had similar life experiences as herself.

For those who do not know, Clarke experienced two brain aneurysms over the course of her life and knows exactly how it feels to beat a life-threatening condition.

Apart from her close connection to the character, Clarke explained how she accepted the role as soon as she learned that Emma Thompson had written the story. She also loved the idea of working with Fieg and could not be happier with how the movie turned out.

While Clarke had a lot of good years with Game of Thrones, she called filming Last Christmas the best shoot of her entire career.

Fans can watch Emilia Clarke on the big screens when Last Christmas opens in theaters on November 8th.