Why Matt Smith was reluctant (at first) to play Daemon Targaryen

House of the Dragon is only a couple episodes into its first season, but already, favorite characters are emerging. Fans have taken an especial shine to Daemon Targaryen, the unruly younger brother of King Viserys I Targaryen. From stealing dragon eggs to chopping off scrotums, it’s never boring when Daemon is onscreen.

Daemon is played by Matt Smith, best known for playing the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who and a young Prince Philip on The Crown. Before the show aired, some people were skeptical that Smith could pull off this part, but he quickly put those fears to rest.

But as it ends up, Smith was nervous to take it on himself. “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?’” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”

Matt Smith signed on to House of the Dragon in part because he wanted to work with Paddy Considine

I sympathize with Smith’s predicament here; there may be no tougher act to follow than Game of Thrones. But once Smith got into it, he found plenty to love about the part. “[T]here are so many elements to Daemon,” he said. “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.”

As it ends up, Daemon’s brother — or rather, the actor who plays him — was a deciding factor for Smith. “I became aware that Paddy Considine was doing the show as well,” Smith said. “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.”

And the rest is history…in the making. New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t IndieWire