An Australian television company CEO insulted actor Emilia Clarke in front of game of Thrones<\/em> fans during a House of the Dragon<\/em> screening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n HuffPost reports that Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany was discussing game of Thrones<\/em> During the screening when he made an unflattering remark about Clarke, who starred as Daenerys Targaryen for all seven seasons of the popular HBO series. “I was like, ‘What’s this show with the short, dumpy girl walking into the fire?'” Delany reportedly said in front of a crowd of attendees. Delany’s statement was presumably made in reference to a scene in which Daenerys walks out of a roaring fire completely unharmed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RELATED: Game of Thrones Author Wants Fans to Stop Discussing His Death<\/span><\/p>\n Many members of the audience were understandably confused and upset by Delany’s remark. One attendee reportedly said, “It felt like he was expecting us to laugh along, but people in the room were obviously shocked by it.” Travis Johnson, a movie critic who was also in attendance, said he had to ask his friend to clarify what he’d heard due to his utter shock over Delany’s attempt at a joke.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Following backlash from fans, a spokesperson for Foxtel issued a statement regarding Delany’s comments. “The aim was to convey that for him, game of Thrones<\/em> 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 statement read. Delany, the Foxtel Group apologizes if his remarks were misunderstood and caused any offense.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Delany’s words look even more insensitive with the knowledge that Clarke’ from two life-threatening aneurysms during her time on game of Thrones<\/em>. In July, Clarke said that despite the “excruciating pain” caused by the incidents, she felt grateful to have survived. “[I]t’s remarkable that I am able to speak, sometimes articulately, and live my life completely normally with absolutely no repercussions,” the Secret Invasion<\/em> star said. “I am in the really, really small minority of people that can survive that.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Related: The 10 Most Disliked Game Of Thrones Characters<\/span><\/p>\n Although Clarke is no longer playing Daenerys, the Targaryen family will act as the central characters of HBO’s House of the Dragon<\/em>. Ryan Condal, co-showrunner of the upcoming game of Thrones<\/em> prequel, revealed recently that the “tie back to Daenerys Targaryen” served as a major thematic element for him and the writers when developing the series.<\/p>\n
\n <\/p>\n Daenerys’ Ties to House of the Dragon<\/h2>\n