Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke, who played villainess Daenerys Targaryen on the hit HBO series, explained why she has decided to never take a selfie with a fan again after a horrible incident. The 33-year-old confessed that one time, when at an airport, a fan aggressively demanded a picture, even though the actress was in the midst of a panic attack. Clarke added that she felt entirely disrespected by the incident.
"I suddenly started having what I can only believe to be a panic attack brought on by complete exhaustion," she said (via The Inquisitr).
Clarke was so frightened by her symptoms that she called her mother on the phone. Her mother responded by telling the actress to sit down, relax, and take deep breaths. However, the advice did not work. Instead of getting to calming down, the Last Christmas actress began to cry uncontrollably upon sitting down.
Despite the fact that the actress was sobbing, a fan approached her with no guilt whatsoever at asking the tearful actress for a picture.
"I'm crying and crying, this guy's like, 'Can I get a selfie?'" Clarke said.
It was not the only time an impertinent fan has disrespectfully asked for photos. Clarke said that another time, a fan went so far as to wake her up while she was sleeping on a plane to ask for a shot.
Clarke has since issued a moratorium on selfies
As a result of the two incidents, Clarke proclaimed that she has decided not to take selfies with fans anymore. However, despite the photo ban, she insisted that she still wanted to make fans happy, and would be happy to offer an autograph instead.
Clarke said that she liked the autograph compromise because it was "an interaction with that person," rather than simply "Give us a selfie, goodbye."
Her job as an actress has had an effect on her mental health
The brunette beauty has been open in the past about how her fame has led to heightened anxiety levels.
"I do get recognized more now. Sometimes you walk down the street and someone is like, 'Wah.' I do feel very guarded about my anonymity. You know, I like going to the butcher's and having a chat and it being a normal thing," she confessed (via msn.com).
"I like human interaction. I value it, I appreciate it. It's what makes me feel happy. So when that is taken away with someone looking at you in a different guise, it can be incredibly difficult. It can be anxiety inducing."
That said, her fame was not the only aspect that weighed on her mental health. When Clarke raised objections about her high number of nude scenes in Game of Thrones, she was pressured by producers by being told she would be disappointing her fans if she declined, as previously reported by The International Business Times.
