Game Of Thrones: Original Daenerys Actress Talks About Why She Quit After The Ill-Fated Pilot

Before Emilia Clarke signed on to play Daenerys in Game of Thrones, HBO hired a different actress, Tamzin Merchant, to play the role in the pilot. Merchant hasn't said much about her experience as the Mother of Dragons, but she is now discussing how it all went down.

She told EW that she had a bad feeling about the Game of Thrones pilot from the beginning. As fans know, the pilot was something of a disaster. She told the publication that filming the pilot was "a really great lesson" because she learned to pay more attention to her instincts.

"It was an affirmation about listening to my instincts and following them, because I tried to back out of that situation and, during the contract process, I did back out," she said. "I was talked back into it by some persuasive people. Then I found myself naked and afraid in Morocco and riding a horse that was clearly much more excited to be there than I was."

The scene she's referring to is Daenerys' wedding night for which she filmed a nude scene with Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa). It did not go so well. They had to call cut for one sequence because a horse got an erection.

"It was a lesson that if my guts are telling me a story isn't something I'm excited to tell, then I shouldn't try to be excited just because other people are telling me that I should be excited," Merchant said of her experience with the Game of Thrones pilot. "I didn't have any training as an actor, I only have my instincts. And what excites me and what drives me is a compelling story and a compelling character. So for me, Game of Thrones was never that. I think it's a testament to Emilia Clarke for making that role iconic--she was obviously excited to tell that story, and she was epic and excellent. But for me, it wasn't in my heart to tell it."

In the end, Merchant said she's happy that she was allowed out of her contract because needing to commit to a role she didn't believe in would have impacted her life and career negatively.

"If I hadn't been released from my contract, I think it would have taken me to a place far from the creative person that I am today," she said. "Also, if I was very rich and famous, I wouldn't have time to do all the things that my soul needs to do. Expressing myself creatively is a need that's more important than any amount of riches that I could have gained from that part."

The ill-fated Game of Thrones pilot was filmed in 2009, and it was a trainwreck. EW has a full breakdown of what went wrong, and it's a fascinating and eye-opening examination of a bad start to what would become one of the most successful TV shows in history.

While Game of Thrones is over, HBO is pursuing multiple new spin-offs, both live-action and animated.