Emilia Clarke, forever known as the dragon queen, stepped into a different kind of fire on the set of her new spy thriller. This wasn’t a battle with mythical beasts, but a demanding physical challenge disguised as intimate scenes.
The series, titled *Ponies*, plunges Clarke into the icy world of Cold War Moscow, where she portrays Bea, a seemingly unassuming widow. But beneath the surface lies a CIA operative tasked with a dangerous mission: honey-trapping high-ranking KGB agents.
Filming the necessary close encounters proved unexpectedly brutal. Clarke revealed she endured a grueling day involving multiple scenes with three different co-stars, pushing her body to its absolute limit.
The strain was so intense, she actually fractured a rib. “Three men, in a number of hours,” she recounted, describing the relentless pace. “I broke a rib that day.”
Her co-star, Haley Lu Richardson, confirmed the injury, describing Clarke as a “tiny little sensitive body” ill-equipped for the physical demands. Richardson vividly remembers a “parade” of actors heading to makeup after the scenes, needing touch-ups.
Clarke’s explanation to her doctor was refreshingly blunt: “Sex! Times three!” While not a complete break, the rib had noticeably shifted. She clarified, “It just popped out a little bit.”
*Ponies* centers on Bea and Richardson’s character, Twila, both working as secretaries at the US embassy in 1970s Moscow. Their lives are irrevocably altered when their husbands die under mysterious circumstances.
Driven by grief and a thirst for answers, the two women are recruited by the CIA, transforming from grieving widows into covert operatives navigating a treacherous landscape of espionage and deceit.
The show taps into a growing appetite for spy thrillers, joining other popular series in the genre. *Ponies* promises a unique blend of suspense, intrigue, and the complex emotional lives of its protagonists.
While a UK release date remains unconfirmed, anticipation is building for audiences to experience this gripping tale of espionage and sacrifice.
