Matt Smith goes dark as Daemon on House of the Dragon
Matt Smith has fully embraced his dark turn as Daemon Targaryen on House of the Dragon Season 3, telling The New York Times he deliberately sought villain roles after Doctor Who. The actor sees Daemon as violent yet human—and he's unsure the prince survives the final season.
As HBO's Game of Thrones prequel returned for its third season on June 21, Smith's silver-haired dragon prince is back at the center of the Targaryen civil war. In a May interview at his London home, the British star reflected on a career arc that took him from one of television's most likable heroes to a string of murderers, misanthropes, and power-hungry anti-heroes.
Key Takeaways
- After breaking out as the 11th Doctor in 2010, Matt Smith said he "actively" pursued bad-guy roles—including Daemon Targaryen.
- Smith and Emma D'Arcy helped Rhaenyra seize the Red Keep in Season 3, Episode 2, ending with Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne.
- The actor aims to make Daemon feel human despite his violence, sadism, and "psychopathic lust" for battle.
- Smith cannot confirm whether Daemon lives into the show's final season and plans a break once promotion ends.
Why did Matt Smith pivot from Doctor Who to villains?
Smith broke out in 2010 as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor on the BBC's Doctor Who, a role of almost insane likability that made him beloved worldwide. But once he left the TARDIS, he made a deliberate choice.
"I definitely, actively went, 'I want to go and play bad guys,'" Smith told The New York Times. That path led through morally gray parts in The Crown, Last Night in Soho, and Morbius before showrunner Ryan Condal cast him as Daemon.
Smith was not initially seeking another long fantasy commitment. After meeting Condal and discussing the series' scale, he agreed to a screen test. Condal already had Smith's picture in the writers' room as Daemon inspiration and felt the actor could make a violent, incestuous dragon rider relatable.
How does Matt Smith play Daemon's darkness?
On House of the Dragon, Daemon kills with ease and unconcern—blood spatter looks great on him, as the Times put it. Yet in Smith's hands, the prince remains nearly sympathetic.
Smith was drawn to what he called Daemon's gift for "poetry and destiny and fatalism and romance, and I suppose a sort of psychopathic lust for violence." His job, he said, is to show audiences more than a cartoon villain.
"He's selfish, he's violent, he's sadistic at times. But he's also a human being," Smith explained. Condal added that Smith brings charisma, a dark edge, and vulnerability that keeps viewers invested—even when Daemon orders the killing of a child.
What do Rhaenyra and Daemon's latest moves mean?
Season 3's second episode delivers one of the season's biggest power shifts. After learning of her son Jace's death at the Battle of the Gullet, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon infiltrate and take the Red Keep, according to Variety.
The hour ends with Alicent Hightower brought before Rhaenyra seated on the Iron Throne, standing over the beheaded body of her father, Otto Hightower. D'Arcy and Smith told Variety that returning to the palace to film the cautious infiltration felt like a homecoming after spending much of the prior season away from King's Landing.
Daemon has solidly backed Rhaenyra since pledging allegiance at the end of Season 2. But he may have made a costly error: by turning down Alys Rivers' request for Harrenhal as reward for her support, he risks pushing her toward Aemond when the Greens seize the castle.
What comes next for Matt Smith?
Smith attended the Season 3 world premiere in London on June 8 and is now deep into press for the show. He told the Times he could not say whether Daemon survives into next season—the series' last.
Once promotional duties wrap, Smith hopes to step back. "Take each day as it comes, try and water my roses," he said—a far cry from dragon fire, but fitting for the charming host who offered tea in his garden during the interview.
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