The Big Picture

• Matt Smith's improvisation on the set of House of the Dragon resulted in some of the show's most effective scenes, adding depth and nuance to his character.
• Smith's intuitive instincts and ability to think on his feet elevated emotional moments, such as the scene where he replaces Viserys' fallen crown, creating a more poignant and memorable moment.
• Smith's thoughtful improvisation, like demanding to be acknowledged in a wedding scene, showcases his talent for creating powerful and captivating moments on screen.

Matt Smith has long been a hidden gem. Correction: he's a not-so hidden gem for fans of a certain British sci-fi series. The youngest actor to assume Doctor Who's leading man mantle infused the character with an ancient soul. Smith's Eleventh Doctor was menace, rage, and boundless grief rolled into one while still maintaining the character's trademark childlike joy. Now 40 years old, Smith marked his post-Who career with fascinating role choices that proved him a consistently intuitive performer. Yes, Morbius's extravagant vampire villain counts. Smith's presence is at once accessible and enigmatic: he exudes thoughtfulness, detail, and concentrated energy, and naturally brings surprising takes to the material. He twists his lines into unique side alleys and his loaded glances slice as sharp as Valyrian steel. Thanks to House of the Dragon's built-in popularity as Game of Thrones' first spin-off, Smith's talents have finally gone mainstream in a way not even his Emmy nomination for Netflix's The Crown managed. As it turns out, Smith applying his sensibilities resulted in some of House of the Dragon's most effective scenes. Among this actor's many natural gifts is one for insightful improvisation.

Matt Smith Improvised This ‘House of the Dragon’ With Viserys Scene

From start to finish, Episode 8 of House of the Dragon Season 1 is a beast. Even before King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) dies to close out the episode and kick off an inevitable succession conflict between his children, "The Lord of the Tides" is an emotional conflagration. There's Viserys' daughter and heir apparent, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), returning to King's Landing to attend to her ailing father. Such a melancholy act involves a bitter reunion with her former childhood friend-turned-tormenter Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke). Then there are the accusations calling her sons' legitimacy into question. Facing such opposition, Rhaenyra begs her father for help. Viserys is so ill that it's impossible to tell if he heard her pleas.

Of course, the beleaguered king did. Viserys' agonized walk to the Iron Throne became pop culture legend the moment it aired; fittingly, since it's the culmination of the series to this point. The scene starts as Rhaenyra's and ends as Viserys'. Highlighting the most important relationships in his life while he's at death's door just makes sense for a character who was arguably this ensemble drama's lead.

Enter Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen. Already House of the Dragon's most captivating character by a mile thanks to the actor's indelibly shrewd performance, Episode 8's script originally had Daemon assisting Viserys up the Iron Throne's final steps — and that's all. There was no replacing of Viserys' toppled crown after it dropped to the floor in a magnificently symbolic act. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, episode director Geeta Patel shared how the crown fall was an accident:

"The crown fell off of Paddy's head and Matt picked it up, and we just kept going. We didn't stop [filming]. There was a discovery there of this moment. [...] I was so thankful [the crown fell off] because it proved to be, at least for me, quite a heavy moment and quite a turning point for a storyline that had started in the pilot: Hey, I want your crown and by the end here I'm gonna put the crown back on your head and I'm gonna help you to your throne."

Matt Smith's rapid-fire instincts elevated a remarkable scene about fatherly love into something far more fascinating for its layered complexity. Even within the power-grabbing world of Westeros, Daemon Targaryen, amounting to just another jealous brother craving power, is a dull conceit. Helping his dying brother sit the Throne is nuanced, but reverently replacing his crown without ceremony or dramatics shifts the goalposts into poignancy. Smith going with the flow (backed by Considine) and knowing what makes good drama, crafted the kind of unspoken character beats that sustain a series otherwise weakened by its rushed pacing. Even when House of the Dragon cut moments demonstrating Daemon's emotional range (predatory, preening, affectionate, grieving, etc.), Smith was there picking up the pieces, inhabiting his role, and enhancing the series' desired scope to boot.

Season 1’s Final Scene Was All Matt Smith’s Idea

The same methodology goes for Season 1's final scene, something few could envision playing out differently. Bringing news to Rhaenyra of her son Lucerys' (Elliot Grihault) death, Daemon enters Dragonstone's bustling war room and crosses the floor toward a regal and composed Rhaenyra. The slow-motion movement and panning camera escalate the scene's tension and narrow its focus. The moment is intimate and private, Daemon taking his wife's hand and turning their faces from view. The camera's advancing doesn't relent, highlighting Rhaenyra's spine nearly breaking from grief before letting Emma D'Arcy deliver a look ready to raze kingdoms to the ground and claim the Emmy for which they were snubbed.

After the tumultuous finale aired, D'Arcy praised Smith's contributions to GQ. "When we got on set to rehearse," they said, "it has to be known, it was Matt Smith, in a turn of f***ing genius, who offered the idea that Daemon should give Rhaenyra the news while we're both walking away from camera, towards the fireplace. It was a sublime choice, and I could see it instantly." The crew spent a full day achieving the shot, but it was hard work that resulted in chilling brilliance. As with picking up Viserys' crown, Season 1's finale illustrates Smith's uncanny comprehension of what alterations make a dramatic moment sing, both for the characters and through behind-the-scenes technical execution.

Smith Has a Gift for Thoughtful Improvisation

There were other of Smith's off-the-cuff ideas that didn't make the final cut. Thankfully, Ryan Corr, who played Harwin Strong, spilled the tea to AccessReel. As the crew filmed Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon's (Theo Nate) Episode 5 wedding, a banished Daemon struts into the ceremony with the same trollish energy as Macklemore rapping "Thrift Shop." Smith was supposed to stride to his family's table without a word. As Corr recalls:

"When [Daemon] walked into the room and the guard didn't say his name, Matt Smith as the actor stopped. And this is in a room of two hundred people, and we almost went, 'What's going on?' And he turned to the knight, got in his face, and said, 'Go on, then.' And [the guard's actor] didn't know what to do. And [Smith] said, 'Say my name.' [...] I get goosebumps thinking about it. I sat there watching that and go, oh, that's why you're Matt Smith. That's why you can play Daemon Targaryen."

The aired scene plays out according to plan and works. All Matt Smith needs to carry a room as Daemon is his cavalier swagger and dangerously brazen grin. But there's an argument for Daemon demanding an introduction befitting his royal name and getting it through hushed intimidation. After all, Matt Smith's insights birthed House of the Dragon's best scenes. What would "The Lord of the Tides" and "The Black Queen" be without the actor's big brain? Certainly not the episodes that spawned a thousand gifs and thinkpieces. The results are massive testaments to Smith's process and prove how those unplanned accidents became lightning in a bottle. Improvisation is an art form, and Matt Smith holds the keys to that particular kingdom.

House of the Dragon Season 2 returns June 16, 2024. You can watch all of Season 1 now on Max in the U.S.

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