Emilia Clarke, portrayer of the redoubtable Daenerys Targaryen, is extremely striking and formidable until she smiles, after which she ends up looking pleasantly forgettable. It’s clear the Game of Thrones series’ creators were aware of this.
One wonders if Ms. Clarke understands this about herself. Interview evidence suggests she may not, or if she does, is at pains to convince us it was merely her acting prowess on display, a shallow girl portraying a formidable woman.
I’ve seen two other actresses do something similar - Gillian Anderson of X Files and Essie Davis of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries - and in all three cases found it extremely off-putting. If you can be someone of substance, why choose to be someone forgettable?
Later ... for an example of a lady who makes the opposite choice, think of Ivanka Trump. It would appear she has chosen to be a formidable person, an island of calm grace. Have we ever seen her silly side? Does it even exist? Not to my knowledge. Certainly not in public.
