Game of Thrones David J. Peterson clarifies Emilia Clarke Dothraki skills controversy
Linguist David J. Peterson clarifies he never criticized Emilia Clarke's Dothraki skills in Game of Thrones, explaining that her errors were a deliberate part of her character's journey.
Did the Mother of Dragons actually 'suck' at Dothraki? Series linguist David J. Peterson is setting the record straight. After years of a perceived rift over linguistic performance, Peterson has finally addressed the claims made by Emilia Clarke, asserting that any criticism was actually a misunderstanding of character design.
Why David J. Peterson never criticized Emilia Clarke's Dothraki
The controversy resurfaced on January 12, 2026, when the 39-year-old actress appeared on 'Late Night With Seth Meyers.' Clarke recalled feeling "hurt" and "really pissed" after reading an article claiming Peterson critiqued her command of the fictional tongue. However, Peterson told Entertainment Weekly (EW) that his comments were misinterpreted.
Valyrian vs Dothraki: The linguistic nuance in Game of Thrones
Peterson emphasized that while characters played by actors like Jason Momoa needed native fluency, Clarke's character was learning the language in real-time. He compared criticizing her Dothraki to "criticizing Colin Firth for stuttering in 'The King's Speech'—it would be entirely missing the point."
Interestingly, Peterson has always been a staunch defender of Clarke’s performance in High Valyrian. Since Valyrian was Daenerys' native tongue, Clarke was expected to be fluent, and Peterson previously described her delivery as "outstanding" and "natural" during the show's 8-season run.
This content is AI-generated based on source articles. While we strive for accuracy, errors may occur. We recommend verifying with the original source.
Related Articles
Sophie Turner and Kit Harington reunite in the medieval horror 'The Dreadful'. Discover the story, the 'vile' kiss anecdote, and the first look images.
Stranger Things Season 5 ended with a 2-hour finale on Dec 31, 2025. Explore the controversy and the 7 most divisive TV finales in history.
Stay updated with our 2026 TV premiere dates guide. We track the returns of Scrubs, The Night Agent, and the new Game of Thrones spinoff for all series lovers.
Emmy winner Timothy Busfield turned himself in on January 13, 2026, to face child sex abuse charges in New Mexico. The allegations stem from his time directing 'The Cleaning Lady'.
Sophie Turner and Kit Harington reunite in the medieval horror 'The Dreadful'. Discover the story, the 'vile' kiss anecdote, and the first look images.
Stranger Things Season 5 ended with a 2-hour finale on Dec 31, 2025. Explore the controversy and the 7 most divisive TV finales in history.
Stay updated with our 2026 TV premiere dates guide. We track the returns of Scrubs, The Night Agent, and the new Game of Thrones spinoff for all series lovers.
Emmy winner Timothy Busfield turned himself in on January 13, 2026, to face child sex abuse charges in New Mexico. The allegations stem from his time directing 'The Cleaning Lady'.