Matt Smith has stolen every scene he’s been a part of through two episodes of HBO’s House of the Dragon series. The actor plays Daemon Targaryen, brother of the King and yet another player who believes he’s the rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Smith, known for his role in Doctor Who, was skeptical of his role at first, and he admits he wasn’t sure how the show would follow up a colossal series like Game of Thrones.
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Smith shares his reasoning for joining House of the Dragon and his love for his co-star Paddy Considine. He plays King Viserys in the fantasy epic, and his character has already clashed with Daemon on a few occasions. Considine was one of the first actors cast in House of the Dragon, which was part of the reason Smith agreed to join the series.
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Following up on Game of Thrones would be a daunting task, as the viewership and awards the series racked up across its eight seasons would be challenging to replicate. However, it’s so far so good for Matt Smith and House of the Dragon.
“I was in a car park and my agent said, ‘There’s this part in this new show that is a prequel to Game of Thrones.’ And I was like, ‘Ohhh. I don’t know. It’s a tough one, isn’t it? It’s a tough one to follow. Haven’t we seen this before?’ But then [the offer] sort of didn’t go away. Then it came up again, and then I went in for a screen test, and then that was that. I became aware that Paddy Considine was doing the show as well. He’d already been offered the role of King Viserys, and I was such a huge admirer of Paddy’s and I’d always wanted to work with him. So that was a real draw.”
Matt Smith Loves the Intrigue of Daemon Targaryen
Daemon seems to be the type of Targaryen most fans imagine when they think of the iconic house from the mind of George R.R. Martin. He’s merciless, but there’s a soft spot for Rhaenyra in his heart too. Fans have long awaited to see more of the Targaryen family, and Matt Smith couldn’t wait to bring that performance to life.
Fans can see Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen and the rest of the ensemble cast every Sunday at 9 pm E.T when House of the Dragon arrives on HBO Max.
“And then there’s so many elements to Daemon. I love the relationship with his brother. He’s a brilliant character because you never quite know what he’s thinking. I liked the ambiguity of that. There’s a ruthlessness in his personality that I thought was really interesting, to see characters who behave that badly. But in many ways, he comes from what he thinks is quite a genuine place.”
