“House Of The Dragon” Star Matt Smith Said It’s “A Shame” That TV Is Being “Dumbed Down” With “Trigger Warnings”

For context, British actor Matt got his big break when he was cast as the Eleventh Doctor in the hit BBC series Doctor Who back in 2009.

Since then, he has starred in a plethora of TV shows and movies. Most notably, he played Prince Philip in The Crown between 2016 and 2017 before landing the role of Daemon Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon, which premiered in 2022. 

While George R.R. Martin, who wrote the books on which the series is based, has insisted that Daemon is a “gray character” morally, many fans of the show would argue that he is undeniably a villain. 

And Matt reflected on this during a recent interview with the Times, where he was asked if he “wants to play polarizing” characters.

The star went on to reflect on how the world has evolved in recent years, arguing that warning audiences about what is coming up has softened the viewing experience. 

He then specifically mentioned “trigger warnings,” which the Times described as a “tedious modern idea that adults cannot cope with being upset by art.”

If you’re unaware, trigger warnings have become increasingly common for TV shows, with a content advisory often featuring before the start of an episode to warn unassuming viewers of potentially upsetting content ahead, such as suicide or sexual assault.

While most have praised the evolution of trigger warnings in recent years, they have also come under some scrutiny from people who argue that they force spoilers upon the audience.

For example, the shock of a character’s sudden death in Season 1 of The Morning Show was undeniably softened by the suicide advisory that flashed up before the episode began.

The same can be said for a disturbing sexual assault scene in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer, which viewers knew was coming because of the pre-episode trigger warning. 

But rather than criticize them from a spoiler perspective, Matt fears that trigger warnings ultimately end up “policing” narratives. 

Recalling his own youth, Matt added: “I used to go to a local video shop and get Slither, Basic Instinct, Disclosure — all these erotic thrillers. I was way too young to be watching them.”