“Grieving is the catalyst”: Matt Smith teases a changed Daemon in House of the Dragon Season 2

Among those who drew showrunner Ryan Condal in right away was actor Matt Smith. He was a gifted young man who would have fit in perfectly in the dim back lanes of King’s Landing. His recent role as King Phillip in The Crown gave Condal even more incentive to sign him. In House of the Dragon Season 2, Matt Smith brings another side to Daemon Targaryen.

Matt Smith addresses fans’ love for Daemon

Despite his unhinged demeanor and impulsive tendencies, Daemon Targaryen has remained a fan-favorite for a really long time. In a recent interview with the USA Today, Smith acknowledged and explained what makes Daemon so popular:

“People are really going for him. And I feel the same, I love a bit of Daemon. He’s got a cool edge.”

However, he also adds, “Daemon’s a bit more on his back foot and slightly different this season.”

Credits: Max

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Daemon is dealing with grief in Season 2

Though he never really showed it much, Daemon had a lot of love for his brother, King Viserys. And he has not been able to process the deaths in his family properly, as Smith explains:

“He’s haunted by the present and his feelings about the past. I think it was a deliberate decision by the writers. They don’t want to just churn out the same thing. It’s like, what else can we do with Daemon?”

“Grieving is the catalyst. He’s grieving the death of his brother, who he misses deeply. But he’s unable to share or express that to anyone. So you’re left with a quite volatile and confused Damon Targaryen, which will hopefully be entertaining for viewers.”

Read Next: Matt Smith would like to see Doctor Who “sort Daemon Targaryen out”

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