Matt Smith deftly corrected an interviewer who got the pronouns of his non-binary “House of the Dragon” co-star Emma D'Arcy wrong.
Smith was speaking to Sue Perkins, host of Sky's fan show “House of the Dragon: War Room,” at the London premiere of the second season of “House of the Dragon.” When discussing the climactic moment in the season 1 finale when Smith's character Daemon informs Rhaenyra of D'Arcy about the death of her son, Perkins tells Smith that “she gave you all the credit” .
D'Arcy, however, uses they/them pronouns, something Smith made sure to include when he responded.
“I can't take the credit, [but] I have to say, aren't they brilliant? he said. “They are absolutely brilliant and you are in for a real treat with Emma this year. I think Emma has put in a really great performance.”
D'Arcy has previously spoken about the pressure to conform to others' expectations and preferences in the spotlight.
“When I started, I really felt like I had to present myself as a woman in order to be successful in this industry,” they told E! News at the 2023 Golden Globes. “It was not sustainable and I stopped pretending.”
D'Arcy has plenty of support from Smith and has found success on his own: becoming the only “House of the Dragon” actor nominated for a Golden Globe, despite appearing in less than half of Season 1.
The interaction also shows that Smith is much more than the violent man he plays on screen.
“Daemon likes chaos,” Smith told The Times in 2023. “There's a part of him that walks a tightrope made of glass and loves that he can fall off at any moment. He operates on his own strange and often violent plane. But for him violence is not free. He doesn't do it clumsily, he does it with purpose and precision.”
Fortunately for D'Arcy and the former “Doctor Who” actor's fans around the world, Smith is much more adorable in real life than the “Dragon” character he plays.
The second season of “House of the Dragon” premieres June 16 on HBO and the Max streaming service.
