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House of Dragon: Ever wonder what it's like to ride a dragon? Matt Smith answers the burning question.

Matt Smith explains what it felt like to ride a dragon in HBO’s House of Dragon.

Matt Smith on House of the Dragon
Image credit: HBO

Matt Smith has piloted the Doctor’s iconic TARDIS. He became a vampire and discovered the meaning of ‘Morbin time.’ Matt Smith’s acting career has taken him to many places, but until recently, he’s never experienced the joy of riding a dragon. Thanks to HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, Smith has finally had the opportunity to ride a dragon. Eat your heart out Hiccup Haddock! Smith plays a roguish prince named Daemon Targaryen, who happens to be an experienced dragon-rider. (You wouldn’t know it from watching the show, but Smith hadn’t ridden any real life dragons prior to filming the series. That’s how extraordinary his acting is!)

During an appearance at LA Comic Con, Smith answered the question that was on everyone’s mind – what is it like to see footage of yourself riding a dragon? "How does it feel when watching yourself riding a dragon? I think the answer is in the question, my friend… it’s great!"

When asked to describe what the filming was like, he said, "It's like a big sort of bucking bronco. It's quite a bit of fun actually, but you're up there for like twelve hours and by the end you're like 'my god.' There's a guy with us with controls and stuff and they fire wind... then you have to do your best sort of 'I'm riding a dragon’ acting."

Many of us will never get the opportunity to ride a dragon in real life, but thanks to Matt Smith, we now have a taste of what the experience might be like.


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