Emilia Clarke's new role in Last Christmas 'relatable' after own health crisis

'Tis the season to be jolly, and what better way to get in the pre-Christmas spirit than with a holiday rom-com, Emilia Clarke and a dose of George Michael's music.

Bringing to life the late Wham! frontman's holiday hit, Last Christmas sees the Mother of Dragons, Emilia Clarke, taking over the realm of romantic comedy alongside rising Hollywood heartthrob, Henry Golding. 

The Project's Shannon Ryan went to New York to chat to the stars ahead of the film's New Zealand debut. 

She might have been the former Queen of Dragons, but Clarke's latest role is the reigning Queen of Bad Luck. 

"We've all gone through that phase in our lives. It was immediately relatable to me. It felt very familiar for me and my friends," Clarke, 33, told The Project.

"You know when you're in your early twenties and there are so many options, but they are all seemingly out of reach. You go to school and you're chucked out into the world, like 'there you go'. You've got to make all these decisions.

"Some people do well with that, some take a little bit longer."

While Clarke's character fumbles and stumbles through day-to-day life, Golding was tasked with playing "the nicest guy in the universe", according to Shannon.

"It's such a wonderful character. He's a lot more energetic than I am. He brings this levity to the scenes," said Golding.

"It was amazing to just be on the streets of London and enjoying them. We're often just heads down, walking, hoodie up... to be out there, it was lovely, especially in those shoots."

For Clarke, the film was particularly relatable in regards to her character's welfare. Kate, who suffers a major health scare at a young age, draws a distinct parallel to Clarke's own medical history.

"I've been open about my brain hemorrhages and stuff. It happened at the same age as Kate, so it was incredibly familiar," she explained.

"[Kate is] avoiding and evading life at every chance, even sitting with her own mind... she can't quite come to terms with what's happened to her... she gets a bit messy. 

"She's perpetually in that state. I think there were many things I could relate to for a number of reasons."

In March 2019, Clarke revealed in an article for The New Yorker that she suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm in February 2011. She also had a second aneurysm surgically treated in 2013.

Last Christmas will be in New Zealand theatres on November 7.

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