Matt Smith Explains Why Making House of the Dragon Was Easier Than Doctor Who

The season finale of House of the Dragon is dropping tomorrow, and HBO is doing its best to keep everything under wraps despite the fact that the episode leaked. The Game of Thrones spin-off has featured Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, but this isn’t the actor’s first foray into a big franchise. He played The Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who from 2010 to 2013, and he recently admitted that stepping into the BBC franchise was a whole lot harder than joining the HBO show. 

“The pressure that came with Doctor Who is extraordinary,” Smith told the Los Angeles Times. “On this, you’re sharing it with like 10 other actors. Doctor Who is Doctor Who, Hamlet is Hamlet, you know? I was 26 [when I was cast] and I don’t know if I’ll ever feel pressure like that again. In Britain, anyway, the focus on that job is enormous. [House of the Dragon] is a huge global franchise, or so they tell me, but I just go to work in a studio in Watford and try to get the lines in the right order. I think that everyone who leaves Doctor Who will forever miss Doctor Who because it doesn’t get any better. He is the most glorious character. To live with the idea of being able to time travel is f-ing amazing. It’s limitless. It’s a tough part to leave.”

Is Daemon Targaryen the New Internet Boyfriend?

Despite being a sinister character who married his niece, we just can’t get enough of Daemon on House of the Dragon. Recently, producer Sara Hess spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and admitted she doesn’t understand why fans love the character.

“He’s become Internet Boyfriend in a way that baffles me,” Hess said. “Not that Matt isn’t incredibly charismatic and wonderful, and he’s incredible in the role. But Daemon himself is … I don’t want him to be my boyfriend! I’m a little baffled how they’re all, ‘Oh, daddy!’ And I’m just like: ‘Really?’ How – in what way – was he a good partner, father or brother – to anybody? You got me. He ain’t Paul Rudd.”

In the same interview, House of the Dragon director Clare Kilner said that she wasn’t surprised by the love shown for Daemon. 

“I just love the fact people are so involved with these characters, and I think that’s part of the fun of it,” she said. “One minute you like someone, and the next minute you like someone else. But I’m not surprised. Matt is such a risk-taker in his performances and he’s got that little smile and, you know … you can’t help it! He is charismatic. People love a baddie. But I don’t think he’s particularly a good father or a good brother.”

House of the Dragon‘s season finale drops tomorrow night.