Aahana Swrup
‘Ponies’ is a spy thriller show that takes place in 1970s Moscow, Russia, where two novice female CIA Agents take on a conspiracy of a lifetime. The story follows the narratives of Bea Grant and Twila Hasbeck, wives of CIA Agents whose husbands lose their lives in the line of work. However, due to the nature of their jobs, the circumstances around their death remain frustratingly secretive and inconclusive. As a result, the two women end up joining the CIA as part of a highly experimental mission, in which the inconspicuousness granted to them by their gender becomes their greatest strength. One of the other inherent strengths possessed by Bea that makes her an ideal operative is her fluent grasp of the Russian language, which allows her to pose as a Belarusian schoolteacher named Nadiya. Much of the character’s undercover work heavily relies on her ability to speak the Slavic language. As a result, Emilia Clarke’s linguistic knowledge of the language becomes a point of interest.
Emilia Clarke Worked With Language Teachers to Learn Russian For Ponies
In the show, Emilia Clarke’s character, Bea Grant, is a multilingual individual. While attending Wellesley College, she studied Russian as part of her degree. Years later, the decision pays off when she finds herself living in the heart of Russia, Moscow, due to her husband’s CIA job at the American Embassy. Moreover, the skill really pays off when she decides to try her own hand at spywork and finds herself adopting a Belarusian undercover identity as Nadiya. Therefore, Russian skills are intimately tied to her characterization and storyline. Although Clarke wasn’t a Russian speaker before stepping into the role, the actress put in the hours to study the language herself in preparation for the performance.
During a talk show appearance on ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers,’ Clarke spoke about her experience with the language. “I had one teacher, and she made me cry,” the actress shared. “And I sucked, and she just kept saying the same words over and over again. And I kept repeating them, and I felt like I had a good ear, and I felt like I knew what I was saying. And then she would say them back, and I’d be like, that’s what I’m saying. And she’s like, no, you’re not! And then it would be very upsetting.” As a result of the complications, the co-creators and showrunners Susanna Fogel and David Iserson assigned a new teacher to her training.
Additionally, Fabien Enjalric served as the Russian dialect coach on the production to further ensure linguistic authenticity. Eventually, the change in linguistics teachers ended up helping Clarke get a good grasp on the language. Even though she didn’t emerge as a fluent Russian speaker on the other side, she mastered the language well enough to seamlessly serve her character. Fans of the actress will remember that this isn’t the first time she has taken on the task of learning a new language for a role. Clarke is famously known for learning fictional languages Dothraki and High Valyrian for her critically acclaimed performance as Daenerys Targaryen in ‘Game of Thrones. Ultimately, her dedication to learning the new language greatly informs her character, allowing Bea to blend in with her 1970s Moscow surroundings.
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