Matt Smith is a talented actor who excels in portraying various different roles. Therefore, it is no surprise how much praise his latest role in House of the Dragon has garnered. Many viewers were charmed by his role as Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel. But of course, fans of his work already knew how well Smith’s acting brings so many characters to life, especially his most beloved role as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who.
Comparing the Two Shows
Doctor Who and House of the Dragon have very dedicated and large fanbase followings, so Smith possibly felt pressure during both of these roles. However, he reveals he felt more pressure being the Eleventh Doctor than as Daemon Targaryen in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. He compares the two roles when asked if starring as the famous Time Lord prepared him for the Game of Thrones fandom.
Smith says,
“I suppose so. But the pressure that came with “Doctor Who” is extraordinary. On this, you’re sharing it with like 10 other actors. Doctor Who is “Doctor Who,” Hamlet is “Hamlet,” you know? I was 26 [when I was cast] and I don’t know if I’ll ever feel pressure like that again. In Britain, anyway, the focus on that job is enormous. [“House of the Dragon”] is a huge global franchise, or so they tell me, but I just go to work in a studio in Watford and try to get the lines in the right order. I think that everyone who leaves “Doctor Who” will forever miss “Doctor Who,” because it doesn’t get any better. He is the most glorious character. To live with the idea of being able to time travel is f— amazing. It’s limitless. It’s a tough part to leave.”
Matt Smith, Los Angeles Times
Who knew being a Time Lord time traveling in a blue police box would be more intense than being a warrior and dragonrider? Despite all the pressure he felt, Smith portrayed both characters effortlessly and definitely deserves all praise thrown his way. And as Smith reflected on Doctor Who, we couldn’t help doing so too.
A Big Weekend for Doctor Who and House of the Dragon
It was truly an exciting weekend for fans of Doctor Who and House of the Dragon. The latter amassed about 9.3 million viewers this past weekend, according to Warner Bros. Per Variety, that viewership marker was the biggest turnout for an HBO finale since Game of Thrones.
Meanwhile, Doctor Who also aired the “The Power of the Doctor” special. The episode showed the regeneration of the Time Lord from Jodie Whittaker, the Thirteenth Doctor, to the Fourteenth Doctor. And let’s just say that the show definitely surprised fans with this regeneration.
Spoiler Alert for Doctor Who Fans!
Expecting Ncuti Gatwa to emerge as the next doctor, instead, David Tennant, who was the Tenth Doctor, appeared on the screen. Now Gatwa will be the Fifteenth Doctor.
Tennant’s reveal as the Fourteenth Doctor had fans shocked and excited at the turn of events in the series. His return to Doctor Who has fans recalling Smith’s special appearance in the episode, “The Day of the Doctor.” The special episode had Smith meeting a mysterious curator played by Tom Baker, who was the Fourth Doctor. During their meeting, Baker’s character says, “And in years to come, you might find yourself revisiting a few. But just the old favourites, eh?”
You know that moment when a lightbulb goes off in your head, and everything starts connecting? That’s precisely what happens when remembering the phrase “revisiting a few” faces and connecting it to how The Doctor regenerates back to a previous doctor.
Matt Smith was a huge fan favorite, but David Tennant was another one as well. He was the predecessor of Smith and fans wonder if this means Smith could possibly return, if not as the Time Lord himself, but perhaps with a cameo in the upcoming 60th anniversary of Doctor Who. Regardless, we love him as both The Doctor and Daemon Targaryen, so we’re excited to see more of Matt Smith’s upcoming projects in the future.
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