‘House of the Dragon’: Matt Smith says his character Daemon Targaryen has 'shades of gray' in prequel series
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Ever since the ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel got the green signal, ardent fans just can't wait for ‘Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon.' The curtain raiser of the show will be on Sunday, August 21, on HBO and HBO Max. In an interview, actor Matt Smith talks about how his character of Daemon Targaryen is much more complex and has ‘shades of grey.’
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine dated August 4, the Emmy award nominated star provided insight on his character. He said that Daemon was sort of an outsider and was not black and white which was what made him really interested in wanting to portray this character.
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The ‘Doctor Who’ alum said, "He's sort of an outsider. He’s not black and white, there are shades of grey with him, which is what interested me about him. And his relationship with his brother is really interesting. It was a joy working with Paddy Considine, who I’ve admired for so long, and Rhys Ifans."
Applauding the cast of the series, Smith said, "It's a great cast. The characters are really, really interesting. And it’s based on George RR Martin’s book 'Fire & Blood.' That’s one thing we’ve got going for us: we're not just plucking fantasy out of thin air. It comes from the mind of George, who’s really clever, and has created a world that feels like it’s translatable."
Speaking on how sporting Targaryen’s iconic blonde hair in the series was a difficult task, Smith said, "It looks great but it’s a f****ng pain in the a***. It took an hour and a quarter to put on every day. I was like, 'Obviously the Targaryens are known for their blonde hair — but can’t we just give them some highlights?'"
For those who don’t know, the series chronicles the dramatic fall of the House Targaryen that had been ruling the world of Westeros, which comprises seven kingdoms for nearly 300 years. The downfall begins when King Viserys Targaryen’s official proclamation of naming his only daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock / Emma D’arcy) as the next potential ruler and queen on the iron throne instead of his brother Daemon. This gives rise to a war where all the Targaryens are seen using their wits to take the iron throne.