Clarke explains why her Emmy nomination was embarrassing

Emilia Clarke found about her Emmy nomination while waiting for a doctor's appointment.

The 28-year-old English actress is up for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Daenerys Targaryen in HBO series Game of Thrones, and reacted to the honor following the announcement Thursday.

"It was a very embarrassing moment," she told the Los Angeles Times. "There's a lovely British girl waiting in the doctor's office, and you've got the best news ever, and you're very excited and a bit loud on the phone."

"All you want to do is just scream and shout, and you have all these people glaring at you thinking, 'What is that woman on?'" she related. "So, yeah, I had to try and contain my excitement for that moment. But it was pretty brilliant nonetheless."

Clarke's nomination is one of 24 the drama received, and co-star Lena Heady is also up in the same category for her portrayal of Cersei Lannister. Clarke said she and the 41-year-old English actress haven't spoken, but used "the telecommunications to congratulate one another."

"I'm just kind of absorbing the cultural footprint the show seems to be leaving," she told the New York Times of the series being honored. "I don't get recognized that much, so I've had time for it to kind of sink in in a rather lovely way, as opposed to in a kind of Britney Spears, shave-your-hair-off kind of way."

Game of Thrones is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin, and will return for a sixth season in 2016. Clarke recently starred in Terminator Genisys with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is scheduled for Me Before You with Jenna Coleman.