Los Angeles, April 17 (IANS): Actress Emilia Clarke likes to "play real people" and reconnect with her friends when she's not working.

Asked what inspires her, she said: "Singing, writing, music, being with friends and family. When you're shooting you're away for a long time... Going from a hotel room to a set, you live in this bubble that lasts the length of filming and when it's done that's it.

"So it's important to go home, find your feet and reconnect with reality and go and play real people," added the "Game of Thrones" star.

The 29-year-old actress says it is only "recently" she has grown to appreciate how popular the programme is, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

She said: "It's only recently (I've realised how big it is). I've been working continuously so there hasn't been any time to stop and smell the roses, as it were. It has been happening slowly."

And Clarke is thankful she wears a wig on the fantasy drama as it means she largely goes unrecognised.

She told Britain's HELLO! magazine: "Because I wear the wig, I have a very normal life in terms of not getting recognised much. I'm incredibly fortunate in that regard because it allowed me to keep my feet on the ground and not fall into the pitfalls that a young actress could fall into."