It’s painful: Ukrainians outraged after Emilia Clarke speaks Russian
Emilia Clarke’s role in Ponies (screenshot)
Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has found herself at the center of controversy over her new role in the spy drama Ponies about the USSR. A clip circulated online has outraged viewers, particularly in Ukraine.
RBC-Ukraine reports what is known about the controversial series and how audiences have reacted to its premiere online.
Who Emilia Clarke plays in Ponies
According to the synopsis, the story takes place in Moscow in 1977, during the Cold War. The actress plays an American diplomat who speaks Russian.
Clarke’s character, together with her colleague, becomes the center of a series of espionage operations following the deaths of their husbands. Both are forced to cooperate with the CIA to unravel intrigues and save their lives.
Bea, the role played by Emilia, is an educated Russian-speaking woman, the daughter of Soviet immigrants. Her colleague, Twyla, portrayed by Haley Lu Richardson, comes from a small town and is distinguished by her brave and determined character.
How audiences reacted online
The scandal erupted after a clip from the series appeared on the social media platform X, showing Clarke’s character speaking Russian and using profanity. Viewers interpreted this as yet another attempt by Western cinema to romanticize or whitewash the Russian image against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Comments included:
-
“Most foreigners have no idea what Russia is or what the so-called Russian language really is. They don’t know, and they don’t care. For residents of the Baltics, Ukraine, and some other countries, the Russian ‘language’ is not just a language, it’s a tool of oppression.”
-
“Seriously? All these creative Western minds still love the so-called mysterious Russian vibe? Nothing is interesting about glorifying a terrorist culture.”
-
“I wonder how many Russians and how much of their money were involved in promoting this script.”
-
“It hurts so much. She was my queen as an actress, as a person. I can’t…”
-
“Another film glorifying Russian culture, thanks to Hollywood.”
-
“Don’t be surprised in the future why Russia will destroy half the world if you tolerate all its crimes now. It’s disgusting. My people and loved ones are being killed so you can make mediocre films in a country that wages war and commits genocide.”
New look at ‘‘PONIES’ starring Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson.
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) January 12, 2026
Premiering January 15 on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/G1Nvav096R
What is known about the series Ponies
The series premiered on January 15, 2026, on Peacock. It consists of 8 episodes and was created by Susanna Fogel and David Iserson.
Filming took place in Budapest, where the creators recreated the atmosphere of Soviet Moscow.
At the time of release, the project received positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, scoring 92% based on 12 reviews, and a 73 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 6 critic reviews.
Earlier, we shared a first look at Euphoria Season 3.
Sources: Wikipedia, YouTube-канал Peacock, Comments under the post by Film Updates on X.
