'Game of Thrones' star Emilia Clarke was convinced she 'cheated death' after surviving two brain aneurysms

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2026 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here. Emilia Clarke believed she had "cheated death" and was "meant to die" after the TV star survived two life-threatening brain aneurysms while filming HBO's blockbuster fantasy series. Clarke survived both aneurysms while filming "Game of Thrones," a health battle she kept largely private for years. The first aneurysm happened in 2011 right after filming for season one had wrapped. At 24 years old, Clarke collapsed at a gym in London. "I was just convinced that I had cheated death, and I was meant to die," Clarke, 39, said during an appearance on the "How to Fail with Elizabeth Day" podcast. "Every day, that's all I could think about." She explained what suffering the first aneurysm felt like: "The closest thing to describe it is imagine an elastic band just snapping around your brain. T