An Australian tv firm has apologized after its chief govt referred to actor Emilia Clarke as a “short, dumpy girl” at a premiere this week.
Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany made the eyebrow-raising comment earlier than a screening of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” spinoff collection, “House of the Dragon,” on Tuesday. According to Australian news outlet Crikey, Delany was describing how he was late to start watching “Game of Thrones,” through which Clarke portrayed Daenerys Targaryen.
“I was like, ‘What’s this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?’” he reportedly mentioned, referring to Daenerys.
The CEO’s obvious try at a joke, nevertheless, landed with a thud among the many evening’s attendees. “It felt like he was expecting us to laugh along,” one attendee told Crikey, “but people in the room were obviously shocked by it.”
Film critic Travis Johnson, who attended the premiere, echoed that sentiment.
“Yeah, I was there for this, and turned to my mate for clarification as I simply didn’t believe someone would say that on mic,” he tweeted.
By Wednesday, a Foxtel spokesperson issued a press release making an attempt to backpedal on Delany’s phrases.
“The aim was to convey that for him, ‘Games of Thrones’ was something very different for television in 2011 and that Emilia Clarke went from relatively unknown to one of the most recognized and most-loved actors in television and film,” the assertion learn, according to The Wrap. “On behalf of Mr. Delany, the Foxtel Group apologizes if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offense.”
Clarke’s representatives didn’t instantly reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
Clarke doesn’t seem in “House of the Dragon,” which premieres subsequent week on HBO. The 10-episode collection is predicated on George R. R. Martin’s 2018 novel, “Fire & Blood,” and is ready 300 years earlier than “Game of Thrones.”
