The Game of Thrones prequel is here with House of the Dragon. It has some big names attached, and arguably most notably, Matt Smith is one of the leading stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the Doctor Who alum talked about the process that landed him the role. Initially, he was hesitant to be in the first series to follow Game of Thrones and its much-hated final season.
Matt Smith detailed that he was in a parking lot when his agent called him about a prequel to Game of Thrones. That immediately set off an alarm for him, but through persistence from the showrunner, Miguel Sapochnik, who directed episodes of the original series like the epic Battle of the Bastards.
What got Matt Smith to sign up for House of the Dragon?
Wanting to work with someone is often a reason why an actor signs up for a job. Matt Smith saw that Paddy Considine (The Outsider) was playing as King Viserys Targaryen. To him, that was the “real draw.”
The second reason that brought Matt Smith to House of the Dragon was his character, Daemon.
“I love the relationship with his brother,” he said. “There’s ruthlessness in his personality that I thought was really interesting to see characters behave that badly. But in many ways, he comes from what he thinks is quite a genuine place.”
Despite the controversial ending to the original fantasy series, HBO has been set on expanding the universe that was created by George R.R. Martin. House of the Dragon is the first of several projects in the works that will grow the foundation of the world and its lore. The series with Matt Smith takes place 200 years before the events of the previous series, giving fans a look when dragons were plentiful, and the Targaryens held great power.
The series airs every Sunday, and its first episode is available on HBO Max.
