Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

House of the Dragon: Matt Smith says he found himself asking ‘do we need another sex scene?’

‘Game of Thrones’ was notorious for its explicit portrayal of sex and violence

Ellie Harrison
Saturday 06 August 2022 23:46 BST
Comments
House of the Dragon, Trailer

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Matt Smith said he found himself questioning the number of sex scenes while filming the forthcoming Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.

The former Doctor Who and The Crown star, 39, plays Daemon Targaryen in the story set 200 years before the events of the original sprawling HBO series, which became notorious for its explicit portrayal of sex and violence.

Emilia Clarke, who played queen Daenerys Targaryen, revealed after Game of Thrones had concluded its final series that she had felt uncomfortable with the “f*** ton” of nude scenes she was asked to do.

Speaking to Rolling Stone about the forthcoming prequel series, Smith said: “You do find yourself asking, ‘Do we need another sex scene?’ And they’re like, ‘Yeah, we do.’

“I guess you have to ask yourself, ‘What are you doing? Are you representing the books, or are you diluting the books to represent the time (we’re living in)?’

“And I actually think it’s your job to represent the books truthfully and honestly, as they were written.”

‘House of the Dragon’
‘House of the Dragon’ (HBO)

Asked about how many sex scenes he has, Smith jokingly added: “Yeah – slightly too much, if you ask me.”

The 10-episode series is based on George RR Martin’s Fire and Blood novel, which tells the story of House Targaryen.

Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans will all also star.

Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free
Apple TV+ logo

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

Smith also reflected on the controversial ending of Game of Thrones, which divided viewers and prompted a petition calling for the finale to be re-shot.

He said: “I think you’re always going to disappoint some people. Ultimately, the body of work they produced stands up.

“Was it a perfect ending? It’s a matter of opinion. It didn’t bother me, I liked it.”

House of the Dragon is due for release on 22 August on Sky Atlantic and steaming service Now.

Additional reporting by Press Association

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in