New Delhi: Actor Matt Smith says he has never been interested in categorising Daemon Targaryen as either a hero or a villain, preferring instead to explore the character's darker impulses and moral complexities.
The British actor reprises his role as the unpredictable Targaryen prince in the third season of House of the Dragon, the popular Game of Thrones prequel that began streaming on JioHotstar on Monday.
Speaking to PTI during a virtual group interview, Smith said his creative approach has always been to push Daemon to the edge and examine whether redemption remains possible.
My real main interest with him has been... let's get this character to be the worst version of himself. Push him as far as you can towards the precipice, the edge of the cliff, the things that you think are impossible for a character to come back from
- Matt Smith
The actor added that he leaves it to viewers to decide whether Daemon should be viewed as a villain, anti-hero or something in between.
Based on George R R Martin's Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set nearly two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones and chronicles the rise and fall of House Targaryen during the brutal civil conflict known as the Dance of the Dragons.
Smith's Daemon Targaryen, known for his charisma, military prowess and ruthless streak, remains one of the series' most complex and unpredictable characters.
The actor also spoke about his admiration for co-star Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra Targaryen. Smith said he missed sharing scenes with D'Arcy during the second season, as their characters spent much of the story apart.
"I was campaigning in season two to get back on the floor with Emma and with Daemon and Rhaenyra," he said, praising D'Arcy's detailed and thoughtful approach to acting.
Smith further expressed his fondness for fantasy storytelling, saying he particularly enjoys magical realism and horror as a viewer.
"When this type of thing is done well, I think it's a good way to transport an audience out of their everyday lives into somewhere interesting for a couple of hours," he said.
Season three of House of the Dragon also features Steve Toussaint, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, James Norton, Tom Bennett, Freddie Fox, Clinton Liberty, Gayle Rankin, Abubakar Salim and Tom Cullen.
(With agency inputs from PTI)
