This month, HBO will be inviting fans of Game of Thrones to enter the House of the Dragon to try and re-capture some of the franchise magic diminished with the original show’s final season. It features Matt Smith, and, for one co-star, he is a joy to work with.
Emma D’Arcy reveals the behind-the-scenes information in a new article published by Screen Rant. The entertainer — who uses They/Them pronouns — plays Rhaenyra Targaryen in the project. They learned a lot about the craft from Smith, had a lot of time where they were just on set together apart from other players, and he often made things come alive later in their work evenings.
“But I’ll tell you that what’s really amazing is he has such a gift for finding freedom on camera. He doesn’t want to know what happens. He wants to surprise you; he wants the thing to live. And as soon as I understood that, not only is he a gift of a scene partner, but it’s also a privilege to know what someone needs. Knowing that, actually, it’s just a complete curveball at 6pm. You offer that, and someone is suddenly electric and with you and excited. It is a pleasure. He’s taught me a lot about doing my job.”
House of the Dragon premieres Aug. 21. Its initial season will consist of 10 episodes. The prequel is set 200 years before Game of Thrones, and all the violence, death, conversations, intrigue, and walking from various places on the continent audiences loved.