Matt Smith Throws Shade at Game of Thrones' House Stark

Matt Smith, who stars as Prince Daemon Targaryen in Max’s House of the Dragon, made fun of fan-favorite House Stark.

When Game of Thrones first aired on HBO, the fantasy epic story generally focused on House Stark and House Lannister. The Starks were positioned as the good guys of the story, while the Lannisters were almost never up to any good.

But with House of the Dragon, the focus shifted to House Targaryen. Sure, Daenerys represented the bloodline for a long time on Game of Thrones, but the group never got the attention they're receiving now, thanks to the new spin-off series.

Matt Smith Throws Shade at House Stark During LA Comic Con

The Direct attended LA Comic Con on December 2, where House of the Dragon star Matt Smith took a potshot at House Stark while headlining the “Spotlight on: Matt Smith” panel.

During the panel, a fan asked what House Smith would want to be a part of if it wasn't Targaryen. The actor tossed in shade, claiming, “There’s only one family to be involved in.” He then jestfully questioned, “Who wants to be a Stark?”

"I can't possibly answer that. I'd never be anything but a Targaryen. There's only one family to be involved in—who wants to be a Stark? Targaryen's man, we've got dragons and blonde hair, like, what else are you going to do? It's the same with the Greens and the Blacks. No, no, no, there's only one side to be, and it's ours, man.“

Another fan wondered how it feels for the actor to watch himself riding a dragon, to which he responded: “I think the answer is in the question:”

"How does it feel to watch yourself ride a dragon? I think the answer is in the question, but it feels great! You're riding a dragon! And you're Targaryen."

Smith then described the contraption he has to ride on set as being a “big sort of bucking bronco” that, while “fun,” can be quite exhausting after doing it for “12 hours:”

"It's like a big sort of bucking bronco. It's fun, actually! But you're up there for 12 hours, and by the end, you're like, 'Oh my God.' And it moves around, and there's a guy with those controllers. And then fire the wind and rain? And then you have to do your best sort of, I'm riding a dragon act."

What Will Season 2 of House of the Dragon Bring?

Given how much fans love House of the Dragon, many probably agree with Matt Smith’s House Targaryen pride. The Starks and Lannisters, well, they’re old news.

Now, the world needs Summer 2024 to arrive so audiences can consume new episodes as soon as possible.

In a recent post on his blog, Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin, who has seen the first two episodes of Season 2, described the new installments as “very dark” and warned that they “may make you cry.” He listed even more powerful descriptive words: “emotional, gut-wrenching, and heart-rending.”

With how dark the end of Season 1 was and the war it set the stage for, no one should be surprised to hear Season 2 described so strongly. It should have also been readily apparent after Max released the new teaser.

While the world waits for Season 2 of House of the Dragon, Season 1 is currently streaming on Max.