Twelve years after the first pilot for HBO's Game of Thrones was scrapped and many of the characters were recast, the original Daenerys Targaryen has finally opened up about briefly playing the character and why she ultimately didn't want the role.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming second season of Carnival Row and her debut novel, Tamzin Merchant revealed how she struggled with the role of the future Mother of Dragons. "Shooting that pilot was a really great lesson," Merchant said. "It was an affirmation about listening to my instincts and following them, because I tried to back out of that situation and, during the contract process, I did back out. I was talked back into it by some persuasive people. Then I found myself naked and afraid in Morocco and riding a horse that was clearly much more excited to be there than I was."

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As Merchant tells it, long before she was recast, she was not happy with the role. Ultimately, that knowledge has helped her accept her choice and her career path, even as Game of Thrones has become one of the biggest shows of all time.

"It was a lesson that if my guts are telling me a story isn't something I'm excited to tell, then I shouldn't try to be excited just because other people are telling me that I should be excited," Merchant continued. "I didn't have any training as an actor, I only have my instincts. And what excites me and what drives me is a compelling story and a compelling character. So for me, Game of Thrones was never that. I think it's a testament to Emilia Clarke for making that role iconic – she was obviously excited to tell that story, and she was epic and excellent. But for me, it wasn't in my heart to tell it."

"It was kind of funny riding to auditions on buses with Emilia Clarke's face on it," Merchant concluded. "Like, 'oh my mode of transport is quite interesting today!'"

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In a strange way, the final season of Game of Thrones mirrored the troubled pilot, as it was recently revealed HBO lost half its viewers after the conclusion of the much-maligned eighth season. But while the flagship show fell out of favor hard, the network is still eager to expand on George R.R. Martin's book series. Along with House of the Dragon, a series exploring the beginning of the Targaryen reign, HBO is working on a Tales of Dunk and Egg series based on Martin's novellas featuring the two characters. It was also revealed yesterday that a Game of Thrones animated series is in the works, though details about its plot and setting are unknown.

Source: Entertainment Weekly