Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon released premiered its first episode recently and the show has already opened to a massive response from fans. Particularly, Matt Smith’s act as Prince Daemon Targaryen has caught everyone’s attention. Showrunner Ryan Condal recently spoke about the decision of approaching Smith for the show, who has been a part of other major projects such as Doctor Who and The Crown.
House of the Dragon’s showrunners, both Condal and Miguel Sapochnik recalled thinking Matt Smith would be interesting for a pivotal role on the show. The actor who got cast as the mercurial Daemon Targaryen on the show has previously played another prince onscreen and it happens to be Prince Philip in The Crown. Condal while talking to The Hollywood Reporter spoke about the strange connection between the two.
Speaking about being impressed with Matt, Ryan said, “I was a big fan of The Crown, and the performance Matt put on in those two seasons told me everything you needed to know about the actor — he can disappear into those roles. Oddly, Prince Philip shares some crossover traits with Daemon.”
As for Smith, the actor himself was also reluctant on taking up the role. Matt also admitted that one of the key factors in him coming on board after Paddy Considine was cast as King Viserys. The actor maintained that he has been an admirer of Considine and wanted to work with him. House of the Dragon’s first season will consist of ten episodes.
