Exclusive Interview with Emilia Clarke - Solo: A Star Wars Story

What was it like being Han Solo’s first love interest? What Avenger would Emilia Clarke like to be? And why she doesn’t describe herself as playing a strong woman in this exclusive Emilia Clarke Solo: A Star Wars Story exclusive interview! I was invited as media to cover this event. All opinions are my own.

Emilia Clarke – Solo: A Star Wars Story Interview

About Qi’ra: Qi’ra is deeply enmeshed in a life of crime as a member of a street gang on Corellia. Streetsmart, calculating and ambitious, she puts her early life as a powerless street urchin behind her and uses all her wits to move up in status within a prominent criminal organization. Emilia is donning her platinum locks for the final season of Game of Thrones – a show I’ve yet to watch….am I the only one? She’s grinning from ear to ear and has this sense of calmness about her. We begin the interview by asking Emilia if she was a Star Wars fan growing up. She shares that she wasn’t born when the first few films came out, but her brother was a huge fan. Adding, “then when episode 7 came out and I went to go and watch that with him I became a fan because I suddenly realized what everyone must have felt in 1977 when it first came out. The enormity – like this is how a movie should be made!”

Were you intimated at all at playing the woman who came before Princess Leia? “Well, I just tried not to think about it. I’m not gonna’ lie. [LAUGHS] It’s scary enough standing under the Star Wars banner, but having that as well. I was like it’s before her so I don’t need to spend too much time worrying. I don’t know what my next 10 years are gonna’ look like. I’ll let Alden take all that heat. You carry that one honey.” So you do play really strong women. How do you want young girls to look up to you? What do you want them to come away with? “I get kind of do you play a lot of strong women questions a lot and I what I would love is we’re just women. You can take strong out of the equation do you know what I mean? It just is what we are, strength is within us as women.”

Photo credit: Disney/Lucas films

Can you tell us about the costumes and what it was like for you because you went from a poor character to a lucky character? Emilia shares, “Yeah it was really funny ‘cause in the beginning [we’re] kids on the run, and it’s that sort of cool factor that you can kind of play into. I remember when I first put on the younger outfit I was like, “Yes! This is good.” And then, later on, it needed to have an impact because of where we see Qi’ra later on. There’s a little kind of property about her. So I wanted to give the impression that later on she had clothes that were brought for her to appear a certain way. And I think that reflected in the costume definitely.” Did you keep any fun memento from your filming? “Yeah I was given a piece of jewelry (a necklace) which is in my safe and it’s not left yet.”

Photo: Film Frame ©Marvel Studios 2018

If you were to join the Marvel Universe which character would you be? “I wanna’ say The Hulk. [LAUGHS] I’m like, “Young Mark watch out honey.” Adding, “I don’t know he seems like he’s having the most fun like out of everyone, so yeah.” How would you say Star Wars fans compare with Game of Thrones fans? ‘Cause they’re both pretty hardcore. “I know, I sorta’ feel like there is a crossover. I’ve not had as much experience with Star Wars fans ‘cause this piece hasn’t come out yet. So you know my Game of Thrones fans are incredible and loyal and wonderful, but I do think that a lot of them like Star Wars.”

What was it like to be directed by Ron Howard? “Amazing! Jon Kasdan, one of the Writers, I kept being like, “You’re joking, like I don’t believe you. You can’t actually really expect me to believe that Ron Howard has chosen come and direct this movie.” Adding, “it was just a dream come true. He literally couldn’t have been better and just to hold us all in the most beautiful way….he made us all feel heard, which in a movie of this scale is so impressive.”