5 iconic Emilia Clarke roles to watch on her birthday

Today is Emilia Clarke’s birthday, which is the perfect excuse for fans to watch some of the iconic films and shows she’s starred in.

Since landing one of the lead roles on HBO’s Game of Thrones, Emilia Clarke has become a recognizable face in the world of pop culture. Her performance as Daenerys Targaryen caught fans’ attention, and given the number of big roles she’s landed since, it seems to have caught the attention of directors and producers as well.

Emilia Clarke was born in England on October 23, 1986 — meaning today’s her birthday. And what better way to celebrate than by watching some of the shows and films she’s starred in over the past few years?

Here are some of our favorite titles with Emilia Clarke at the forefront.

1. Q’ira from Solo: A Star Wars Story

Clarke’s role as Q’ira in Solo: A Star Wars Story is probably her most well known after Daenerys. After all, it’s pretty difficult to secure a place in the Star Wars universe and not get some recognition for it.

In Solo, Q’ira is young Han’s best friend since childhood, and having grown up on the streets with him, she’s about as mischevious as he is. The two are separated while attempting to flee Corellia, but they eventually reunite during Beckett’s heist. During their mission, Q’ira proves a tough character with great survival instincts, and it’s a pleasure to watch Clarke play her.

Rent now on Amazon Prime Video.

2. Lou from Me Before You

Based on Jojo Moyes’ best-selling novel, Me Before You follows Clarke’s character, Lou, as she loses her job and becomes a caretaker for a quadriplegic. And though her relationship with Will Traynor gets off to a rocky start, Lou soon finds that she’s falling for the man.

But though the feelings are mutual, Will cannot escape the feeling that he does not want to remain in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He longs for the life he had before his motorcycle accident, and Lou discovers that he’s considering physician-assisted suicide.

Lou struggles with the fact that their love isn’t enough for Will, while the movie raises the question of whether or not someone should have the right to end their own life. It’s an emotional, and sometimes problematic,  premise, but Clarke plays her part well. It’s definitely worth a watch just to see how far her acting has come.

Rent now on Amazon Prime Video.

3. Sarah Connor from Terminator Genisys

In 2015, Clarke entered the world of action films, taking on the role of Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys. In this recent installment of the Terminator films, resistance leader John Connor sends Kyle Reese back in time to stop a Terminator from killing his mother.

But when Reese arrives in the past, he finds that time has been altered by their actions. The Sarah Connor he’s meant to protect is not who he was expecting — instead of a waitress, she’s a talented fighter who takes out Terminators. And Clarke wears the role of an experienced warrior well.

Of course, even if Sarah Connor is now a badass, Reese still must try to undo the changes he’s made — but he also needs to ensure that time doesn’t split any further than it already has.

Rent now on Amazon Prime Video.

4. Verena fromVoice from the Stone

Voice from the Stone is one of Clarke’s lesser known films, though it’s one that highlights her talents as an actress. Part historical fiction and part thriller, the film is set in Italy after World War II. Clarke’s character, Verena, becomes the at-home nurse to a young boy whose mother has passed away. He hasn’t spoken since the incident.

Unfortunately for Verena, there’s more at play than she realizes. The boy she’s looking after hears voices from his mother, telling him how to bring her back from the dead — and her methods don’t fare well for Verena.

Rent now on Amazon Prime Video.

5. Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones

If all else fails, Emilia Clarke’s birthday is a great excuse to rewatch Game of Thrones for the umpteenth time. We all know that she rocks her role as the Mother of Dragons, and watching her tear apart Slaver’s Bay and pursue her place as queen of the Seven Kingdoms never gets old.

And let’s be honest, we’ll all need a rewatch or two before the eighth and final season airs in 2019.

Watch now on HBO.

So, which Emilia Clarke title will you be watching today?