Excitement is continuing to build for Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, which tells a story set two hundred years before the original show and stars Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke and Matt Smith.
Former Doctor Who star Smith plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of Considine’s King Viserys and the heir presumptive to the Iron Throne.
Now, in a new feature on the show, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Smith’s casting in the role was met with resistance from some fans, but states that he “vanishes into” the character when on-screen.
Meanwhile, Smith said in an interview with the publication: “On the page, Daemon could really be one thing. I was always interested in trying to subvert it a little into something else. I think there’s a sort of strange, sensitive nature to Daemon and quite a genuine loyalty to him and humanistic qualities that you can peel away and see.”
In THR’s feature on the show, they also note that the show’s producers felt Smith had “a weird androgynous quality” that made him “perfect” for the role, noting that he “vanishes into” the character.
Ryan Condal, co-showrunner on the series, recently told Den of Geek magazine that “Matt is really the only person we talked about” for the role and that he “just absolutely loved [Smith’s] work on The Crown as Prince Philip, who somewhat ironically is a similar character”.
Condal explained: “He’s the second fiddle, in that case to the Queen of England, his own wife, and is a bit adrift. [Daemon] is similarly a bit of a rogue prince trying to find his footing and place in the world.”
House of the Dragon will launch on Monday 22nd August on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW – sign up for Sky TV here. Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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