Game of Thrones is considered one of HBO’s biggest hits of all time. During its heydays, the needle-moving sequences and main characters from the series were subjects of household discussions. As such, when the studio announced the plans to bring a spin-off series, House of the Dragon in 2022, fans got excited but also apprehensive, knowing the mission to make the next GOT would be as tough as defending The Wall in the North.
HOTD‘s first season did justice to George R. R. Martin’s work and fans now can’t wait to see what season two has in store. However, Matt Smith has revealed that it took a lot of effort to make the show and during the filming, there were instances that filled him with rage.
Which House of the Dragon Detail Annoyed Matt Smith
House of the Dragon is a prequel set hundreds of years before Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) sat on her dragon and burnt down King’s Landing. The spin-off focuses on the Targaryen dynasty and their relationship with Dragons, which played a big part in helping their house keep control of the throne for generations.
Season 1 sets the base for the feud between two siblings which led to a civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons. In the midst of wars, there are always different parties who cunningly benefit at the expense of others. In this show, this shrewd crown is seemingly held by Daemon Targaryen, who’s portrayed by Matt Smith.
While on-screen the challenge for Daemon was to get on the right side of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, behind the scenes, Smith struggled to remember the names of the dragons. “Ah, for f-ck’s sake!” Smith yelled during a scene where Daemon conscripts the dragon riders. (via The Hollywood Reporter). “No f-cking f-ck! I want … ah f-ck it!”
Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, reacted: “All the dragons have weird names with Xes in them!” “I literally got to the point where I thought I was naming Santa’s reindeer,” Smith added.
It is understandably tough to remember and distinguish one dragon from another, especially since their names are very similar, but these kinds of details are what make Martin’s book Fire & Blood (the inspiration for the series) so special and authentic. The real-life dynasties usually have a lot of repetitive names and suffixes.
Showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik didn’t tweak Martin’s work and continued the trend of puzzling names in the series.
Why Matt Smith Was Considered the Perfect Fit for House of the Dragon’s Daemon Targaryen
The casting of Smith as king’s sly brother Daemon has been received very well by fans after seeing his performance in the first season.
However, at the time it was confirmed, the decision was met with some resistance due to the actor’s portrayal of protagonist Eleventh Doctor in the television series Doctor Who. HOTD was a huge shift for fans who grew to love him as an exuberant and adventurous incarnation of the Doctor.
However, as per The Hollywood Reporter, HOTD producers felt Smith was perfect for the role because he had a “weird androgynous quality.”
As Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower’s forces prepare to take on each other in season two, it would certainly be interesting to see how Smith’s Daemon would impact the dance of the dragons.
