Emilia Clarke 'annoyed' with criticism of 'Game of Thrones' nudity

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Emilia Clarke says she's "starting to get really annoyed" with criticism of Game of Thrones nudity.

The 31-year-old British actress, who plays Daenerys Targaryen on the HBO series, addressed the show's penchant for racy scenes in the December issue of Harper's Bazaar.

"I'm starting to get really annoyed about this stuff now because people say, 'Oh, yeah, all the porn sites went down when Game of Thrones came back on,'" she told the magazine.

Clarke said Game of Thrones and other popular series, including The Handmaid's Tale, focus on sex and nudity because it's "part of life."

"That is all sex and nudity," she said of The Handmaid's Tale. "There are so many shows centered around this very true fact that people reproduce. People [expletive] for pleasure -- it's part of life."

Clarke appeared nude in Seasons 6 and 7 of Game of Thrones after not appearing topless for two seasons. She previously explained in a 2015 post that she's open to nude scenes if they add to the story.

"In drama, if a nude scene forwards a story or is shot in a way that adds insight into characters, I'm perfectly fine with it. Sometimes explicit scenes are required and make sense for the characters/story, as they do in Westeros," the star wrote.

"If it's gratuitous for gratuitous sake, then I will discuss with a director on how to make it more subtle," she said. "In either case, like a good Mother of Dragons, I'm always in control."

Game of Thrones co-stars Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams. The show has yet to announce a premiere date for its eighth and final season.