Emilia Clarke leads Cold-War spy drama Ponies, which premieres on Peacock

Emilia Clarke stars as the lead in Ponies, a Cold War–era television drama that begins airing Thursday on Peacock, the actress said in an interview in London. It is her first lead role in a series since Game of Thrones ended in 2019.

Clarke plays Bea, a neurotic college graduate and stay-at-home wife of an American intelligence agent posted in 1970s Moscow who persuades the C.I.A. to take her on as an operative after her husband dies in a mysterious plane crash. The showrunners, Susanna Fogel and David Iserson, offered Clarke a choice between two main characters; Clarke said she felt the choice gave her a voice and that she was ‘‘obviously Bea.’’ She is also an executive producer on the series.

Clarke said the role marks a deliberate move away from fantasy work. ‘‘You’re highly unlikely to see me get on a dragon, or even in the same frame as a dragon, ever again,’’ she said. Since Game of Thrones she has appeared on stage in London and in a range of films, and she said the pandemic forced her to reassess her career and seek more autonomy over her choices.

Casting colleagues and crew described Clarke as generous and intent on living as normally as possible despite fame; Haley Lu Richardson recalled Clarke cooking salads for the cast, and Clarke brought spiced lamb rolls to a photo shoot. Ponies will begin airing Thursday on Peacock; the wider reception and impact of the series remain to be seen.

Key Topics

Culture, Emilia Clarke, Ponies, Peacock, C.i.a, Cold War