It's easy to forget that Emilia Clarke wasn't always one of the most badass women on television. We know the actress as the fearless Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones. But even the embodiment of Khaleesi was at one time vulnerable and a little lost. During a recent photo shoot for Teen Vogue, the 29-year-old read aloud a letter she had written to her 18-year-old self. Clarke has some pretty sound advice for her younger self — or for any young woman, really. And what she has to say will tug at your heartstrings a little.
"There are going to be times when someone says that dream you've had your entire life..." she begins. "The moment when someone says that's not possible — it is. I know you didn't get into drama school this time around, but you will." Clarke also speaks movingly about grappling with body image, self-worth and heartbreak. And she lends some practical motherly advice, like sticking to Diet Coke at parties ("You don't need to do everything everyone's doing!") and always wearing sunscreen.
The whole video is definitely worth the two-and-a-half minutes, but our favorite line is this one: "The people in your life when all the lights are off, the real people who you really love, just hug them every day." Feeling it.