It takes a talented and capable actor to excel in various roles with varying degrees of expectations and legacies attached to each one. In Matt Smith, viewers have been privileged to see one such capable actor in full flow. Smith has enjoyed a brilliant run so far for his portrayal of Prince Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon. His portrayal on the show has earned him praise from many, with fans seemingly charmed by his charismatic character.
However, before we met Daemon, we had The Doctor. Taking over from David Tennant, Smith portrayed the Eleventh Doctor on the iconic series Doctor Who from 2010 to 2013. The actor recently spoke about the pressures of stepping into both roles, and which weighed on him more. Speaking in an interview with Los Angeles Times, Smith reveals that he felt a lot more pressure playing the Eleventh Doctor than what he is currently facing with House of the Dragon.
About Doctor Who, he says, “the focus on that job is enormous," mentioning:
"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—ing amazing. It’s limitless. It’s a tough part to leave."
Regardless of which role he is playing and the pressure he may or may not feel, Smith has excelled in both roles. His character Daemon has, for all intents and purposes, matured over the course of the first season into a more calculated character. He, however, is still very much prone to moments of rashness as shown in his exchange with Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) in the season finale. Their pairing, however, is sure to be a formidable unit in the war to come.
Smith’s old role, has since his departure, gone on to new heights. After his exit, the role of The Doctor was taken over by Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor, and until very recently, Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor. Whittaker’s run is at an end, and the regeneration of the Doctor will see Smith’s predecessor in the role, Tennant, returning as the Fourteenth Doctor. Fans had expected to see the previously announced Ncuti Gatwa take over the role, however, Tennant who appears in a new trailer, will be setting the stage for the Fifteenth Doctor.
House of the Dragon is available to stream on HBO Max. Watch the new trailer for Doctor Who below: