Alongside the new Lords of the Rings series, House of the Dragon is easily one of the most eagerly anticipated fantasy TV series of 2022. The main reason is that it will allow viewers to return to Westeros, the world of Game of Thrones. Of course, even though the two series are set in the same world, House of the Dragon will take place hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones.
That means new characters will drive the story forward. One of them will be Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen. Matt Smith is a well-known British actor who has appeared in many well-rated and successful movies and television shows. Anybody who wants to watch Matt Smith's best performances before House of the Dragon premieres has multiple options to choose from.
5 Last Night In Soho (2021)
One of Matt Smith's latest movies is the 2021 atmospherical horror drama Last Night in Soho. As its title suggests, the movie is set in London. A part of the story takes place in the modern days and the other in the 1960s. Thomasin McKenzie plays Eloise, a young student who moves to London and begins having dreams about the past and the talented singer and dancer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). The movie creates a strong atmosphere, offers several surprising twists, and is visually beautiful.
Even though it centers on the two female heroines, it's impossible to overlook Matt Smith's performance. He portrays Sandie's boyfriend Jack, and, after a series of roles in which he played the good guy, it's interesting to see him play a less heroic character. Last Night in Soho is one of the movies that keep the audience guessing, and thanks to this, as well as the talented cast, it stays with the viewers for quite a while.
4 Official Secrets (2019)
Despite the fact that Matt Smith is still best-known for his TV work, he's no stranger to movies either. Official Secrets demonstrates this as Smith stars opposite other well-known actors, such as Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. Just like many other well-rated drama movies, Official Secrets is inspired by real events. It centers on the story of Katharine Gun (Knightley) who defies her government when she discovers shocking news.
The movie offers more than one surprising moment, especially to those not familiar with the real story. Matt Smith plays Martin Bright, a journalist who investigates the story. His character comes across as one of the good guys, but the movie is a good example of how things aren't always as simple as they might initially seem. Those who want to see more of Matt Smith in movies shouldn't miss out on watching this one, since Smith has a lot of space in it and uses it well to the last minute.
3 Party Animals
Matt Smith has been acting professionally since the mid-2000s, so even though Doctor Who was his breakthrough role, it wasn't the first part Smith ever took on. As a result, some of his older work flew under the radar. The eight-part 2007 drama series Party Animals is one such example, as it only has around 500 ratings on IMDb as of July 2022. The series centers on several young people who all work in Parliament and whose jobs greatly influence their personal lives. Matt Smith appeared in all eight episodes as Danny Foster, one of the main characters, who works as a Labour Party researcher.
The series offers a detailed look into British politics but thanks to the balanced acting performances included, it's accessible even to those viewers who aren't usually interested in politics. Besides Matt Smith, other familiar faces appear in the series, such as Andrea Riseborough, Colin Salmon, and Sam Heughan. Another advantage is that with just eight episodes, it's easy to watch the series fast.
2 Doctor Who
Airing since 2005, the renewed Doctor Who series brought fame to Matt Smith when he was cast as the Eleventh Doctor from the fifth series onwards. Smith portrayed the role for three seasons and as one of the youngest Doctors ever, he brought youthful energy combined with the ancient wisdom of his long-living character to the role. His Doctor seemed more approachable and friendly than some previous regenerations, as he demonstrated by befriending people, even those who weren't his companions (such as his one-time housemate, Greg).
At the same time, Smith's Doctor was more than ready to take on any human or alien threat and let them feel the wrath of a Time Lord. A fun bit of trivia is that years before he was cast as the Doctor, while he still studied, Smith's classmates nicknamed him Doctor Who because he wore a scarf similar to the one made famous by the Fourth Doctor.
1 The Crown
Even though it might come as a surprise to some, Matt Smith's best-rated piece of work isn't Doctor Who but instead the historical drama, The Crown. Based on real events and capturing real historical figures (some of whom are still living), the series centers around the British royal family, most importantly, Queen Elizabeth the Second. Her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is initially played by Matt Smith.
For the first two seasons and twenty episodes in total, Smith shows the more civil, down-to-Earth side of his acting range. His Philip and Foy's Elizabeth form a strong duo and the scenes between them are highlights of the first two seasons. The series is available on Netflix and offers a dramatic historical story filled with characters that are easy to like. It became popular as a result and won multiple Golden Globes.